At first blush, a former first overall pick receiving an assignment to the G League isn’t an update you want to hear. But this wasn’t a demotion at all — just an indication to say he’s almost back to NBA
game-readiness.
Zaccharie Risacher and Asa Newell were both assigned to the College Park Skyhawks on Sunday, per this update from Hawks PR:
The Skyhawks didn’t have a game until Tuesday, whereas the Hawks had a game on Monday against the Indiana Pacers. The duo practiced with the Skyhawks in the hopes of being ready for today’s game back with the big franchise.
Monday morning, the two were recalled to the big team and sat on the bench as the Hawks defeated the Pacers in a Monday afternoon affair:
Unfortunately, Risacher was ruled out of Wednesday’s contest in Boston despite these steps forward:
The Atlanta Hawks sent out this update just under a week ago (January 19) about the status of Risacher:
Forward Zaccharie Risacher, who has missed the last five games due to a left knee bone contusion, is progressing in his recovery and will be re-evaluated in approximately one week.
Sophomore Risacher last played on January 7 against the New Orleans Pelicans. Since then, the left knee bone contusion has kept him out of the last nine contests.
The Hawks have used Vit Krejci and newly acquired Corey Kispert at the starting small forward spot, but Risacher is the best defender of the trio. So, while we still await a signature breakout on offense this season, Krejci’s and Kispert’s recent struggles alone have paved the way for excitement over the Frenchman’s return.
That brings us to an unfortunate update. As of now, Zaccharie Risacher has not been selected for the Rising Stars competition at All-Star Weekend happening next month.
Risacher could be named as a replacement for a sophomore if someone has to pull out due to injury, but it’s still a tough look for the former number one overall pick.
His stat line for the season has been somewhat underwhelming: 11.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game on 58% true shooting — a stat line that is almost identical to his rookie campaign that earned him a second-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting. But with the above players all taking a step forward, that crowded out the 20-year-old Hawk for a spot on the team(s).
Here’s to hope that he uses the exclusion as motivation for improved play going forward.
