Heading into the 2024 NBA Draft, the prevailing narrative around the class was that it lacked star potential. Whether that criticism is overblown remains to be seen, but the lack of consensus around which players have the most potential in the class has led to a wide range of opinions about which rookie will have the biggest impact on his team in 2024.
That’s clear from the recent media poll for the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year. First overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and second overall pick Alex Sarr are tied for the sixth-best odds to win the award. Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (No. 3 overall) earned the most votes, receiving 62 percent of the first-place vote. Grizzlies center Zach Edey came in second (No. 9 overall) and was followed by Donovan Clingan (No. 7 overall), Stephon Castle (No. 4 overall) and Rob Dillingham (No. 8 overall).
This isn’t to say Risacher is a perfect prospect. There’s been a lot of talk that Sarr or Clingan would be the top pick for a reason. However, I think Risacher’s impact on the Hawks is underrated and he should be in the top three of the voting for the award. The combination of his skills and his role on the 2024-25 Hawks can’t be ignored.
By selecting Risacher first, the Hawks are confident in his ability to be an effective off-ball wing that fits in well with their star players. Trae Young and Jalen Johnson are both players who are going to demand a lot of touches. Therefore, the path to becoming a contributing rookie on offense for Risacher is to use his off-ball gravity, shoot three-pointers without hesitation, and move the ball. I think he showed flashes of all three in Las Vegas.
Part of the relative disrespect towards Risacher likely stems from his performances in Summer League. 14.5 points on 39.3% shooting success on the field over the course of two games is certainly indicative of some struggles, but statistics don’t tell the whole story. Risacher matched the sixth rank He’s shooting 40 percent from three-point range per game, which traditionally translates better to the regular season than percentages. Hawks fans should be pleased to see that he’s not afraid to shoot three-pointers, whether it’s off a screen or creating them himself. It’s unclear whether the 40 percent three-point shooting he shot last season will translate, but he’ll have plenty of opportunities to work on it.
He also showed good playmaking skills in Summer League. Even though he only had an average 2.0 assistsHe limited his turnovers and looked comfortable as a connecting passer. Again, I wouldn’t call him elite in that area, but he showed he can handle the responsibilities he’ll be given in Year 1.
At just 19 years old, Risacher still has a lot of physical development to do. Despite that, he has shown plenty of defensive ability in his two games. He can chase players around screens, defend in space, and generally be held up on the perimeter. If he can become a quality defender for Atlanta, he should be able to stay on the court for long stretches. That’s a problem for Sheppard, whose size makes him susceptible to being overwhelmed.
Additionally, a closer look at the other signings indicates that their roles aren’t as perfectly defined as Risacher’s. I’m very optimistic about Sheppard’s potential, but he could be a part-time player until his defense catches up to his terrific shooting ability. Clingan will likely have to play next to DeAndre Ayton — it’s unclear how Ayton will fit in as a power forward versus a center. Castle’s growth on offense will take time, especially in an offense that finished with the fifth worst offensive ranking despite the presence of Victor Wembenyama. Rob Dillingham will almost certainly be a sixth or seventh man in his first year and his size comes with significant defensive issues. That doesn’t mean they won’t be productive, but their team context and talent aren’t vastly better than Risacher’s. His role is simple and there’s no reason to discount his ability to handle it in a short Summer League span.
