Zaccharie Risacher
Frame: 6’10’’, 210 lbs
Position: Wing
Team: JL Bourg (France)
2024 Draft Age: 19
Stats via RealGM

Offense

Risacher is an unusual candidate for the number one pick in June’s draft. He is the complete package as a modern wing who should tick many boxes for most teams but may not be the franchise cornerstone archetype. Risacher isn’t an offensive initiator or a unique athlete with incredible upside. Instead, he projects to be more of a high-level role-player. 

Risacher can do a bit of everything with great effort and efficiency while maintaining moderate usage. His combination of size, spot-on shooting (45 percent on 3.5 attempts from three in the Eurocup this season), and stellar defense makes him a plug-and-play 3-and-D wing. He’s an off-ball player who gets a limited number of touches but can provide value that may not reflect in the stat sheet, playing off the ball for long periods. In his current role with Bourg, he lives off catch-and-shoot opportunities, cutting and attacking closeouts. He is not soft despite his slim frame and shows potential slashing inside off the catch. Risacher is a gifted athlete who plays intensely, cuts hard, and has no fear at the rim, occasionally putting defenders on a poster.

His team became the Eurocup sensation this season, advancing to the finals, and Risacher played a vital role in its success. He plays with intelligence beyond his age and is a plus player in most games. Risacher may start slowly but doesn’t let mistakes get into his head. He came up big in more than one game in big, decisive moments, which makes him a regular part of Bourg’s closing lineup. 

However, Rischaer is often criticized for his inability to create off the bounce and lack of assertiveness with the ball in his hands. His long limbs make protecting the ball from smaller defenders difficult, and he is visibly uncomfortable under ball pressure. Being a top-pick candidate, he seems to recognize the demand to become a better creator, but his ball-handling endeavors sometimes look awkward. In the Eurocup finals, he was guarded by 5’9″ TJ Shorts, but he could not take advantage of this mismatch and was close to being a non-factor offensively.

Defense

Risacher has established himself with a reputation as a lockdown defender who can guard across multiple positions. His length and mobility provide great versatility, whether protecting the perimeter or switching inside. He is capable of providing point-of-attack defense and weak-side help at the rim. 

Risacher’s wingspan isn’t enormous, but it’s a plus size, and in combination with quick hands, it allows him to bother ball-handlers and get into shooters’ airspace. Risacher has good defensive instincts and a natural ability to recover across the floor and alter shots on the closeout. He knows how to utilize his full length to get into passing lanes, deny the ball, and make deflections with a touch of his fingertips, generating 1.3 steals/blocks per game.

Risacher is usually tasked with guarding the best player on the opposite team. His strength and body control allow him to stay in front of his man and stop the ball without fouling on the drive. He has great agility to navigate through screens and lateral quickness to keep up with smaller players, allowing 0.6 points per possession off-screen and 0.8 in the pick-and-roll, per Synergy. At the same time, he has the steadiness to hold his own inside, keeping offenses to 0.7 points per possession in post-ups.

Risacher is always locked in on defense and competes til the end of possession. He has good defensive awareness and discipline to stay out of foul trouble. He is a perennial member of his team’s most successful defensive lineups and arguably the key cog of Eurocup’s best defense.

Looking ahead

Risacher is a prospect with a high floor but also a lower offensive ceiling than is usually expected of a No. 1 pick candidate. He can become an excellent connector piece, but he’s not the one who will get the offense going. In a stronger draft, he should have been ranked somewhere in the lottery as a potential career starter, but he doesn’t look like a franchise talent.

However, a dedicated hard worker like Risacher should find success at the highest level as he matures. He has the tools and commitment to become a perennial all-defensive player, and his steady shooting may lead to more. There’s optimism that Risacher can follow Mikal Bridges’ trajectory —from a low-maintenance, high-durability role player to an All-Star candidate at his peak form.

The main issue with Risacher is his lack of self-creation, and while he is making strides in this direction, it’s still very unlikely he will become a primary option on an NBA team. However, he may be a great complementary pickup for one that already has offensive firepower in place.