Hawks pick France’s Zaccharie Risacher at No. 1 in NBA draft

NEW YORK — The Atlanta Hawks took ahead Zaccharie Risacher with the primary decide within the 2024 NBA draft, marking the second straight yr that the draft has had a decidedly French taste.

Risacher, the primary of 4 French gamers taken within the first spherical, follows within the footsteps of countryman Victor Wembanyama, who went No. 1 to the San Antonio Spurs final yr.

Risacher is the fourth total worldwide prospect to be taken with the NBA’s prime decide, becoming a member of Italian huge man Andrea Bargnani (2006, Toronto Raptors) and Corridor of Fame middle Yao Ming (2002, Houston Rockets).

“It is a blessing, you realize,” Risacher stated. “So thrilling. There’s plenty of emotions and feelings proper now. I do not know what to say, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly particular. I am so blessed.”

Risacher, 19, performed this previous season for JL Bourg in France’s LNB Elite league and averaged 11.1 factors and 4.0 rebounds throughout competitors in each the EuroCup and the French league. He’s the son of longtime French skilled basketball participant Stephane Risacher, who gained a silver medal with the French nationwide group on the Olympic Video games in 2000.

“I am actual enthusiastic about what is going on to occur,” Zaccharie Risacher stated. “I simply need to do my finest to assist the group. I simply really feel like I will help rather a lot. I am able to do no matter it takes to have the ability to get on the courtroom with these nice gamers.”

The 6-foot-9 ahead separated himself all through the draft course of, and Atlanta — which jumped from the eleventh spot in final month’s NBA draft lottery to the highest spot — used its first No. 1 decide within the lottery period on him. Now, Risacher will go right into a frontcourt alongside breakout ahead Jalen Johnson with the Hawks, who enter the offseason with loads of questions surrounding the way forward for their star-laden backcourt of Trae Younger and Dejounte Murray.

The Hawks additionally will look to enhance on the defensive finish, the place they struggled final season in defensive effectivity (twenty seventh total), protection vs. on-ball screens (twenty fourth), transition protection (twenty ninth) and discipline aim proportion allowed vs. layups and dunks (twenty sixth).

Fellow Frenchman Alex Sarr, additionally 19, was taken at No. 2 by the Washington Wizards, whereas Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard went to the Rockets at No. 3. One other French participant — Tidjane Salaun — went to the Charlotte Hornets at No. 6.

Late within the first spherical, a fourth French prospect went off the board because the New York Knicks took guard Pacome Dadiet with the twenty fifth choice.

“That is wonderful,” Risacher stated. “We try to signify our nation, and I am so glad to be part of it. There’s extra gamers coming in. I am actually happy with being part of the success of my nation.”

Added Sarr: “It simply reveals the quantity of expertise that we have now in France. I am actually excited for Zacc. I believe our nationwide group is admittedly going to be good.”

C’est la France frère 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷

— Wemby (@wemby) June 27, 2024

Throughout his introductory remarks, NBA commissioner Adam Silver congratulated the Boston Celtics on successful the 2024 NBA title — drawing boos from the a number of thousand followers assembled right here — and commented on how the Celtics constructed their group via drafting every of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum at No. 3 within the 2016 and 2017 drafts.

Silver’s feedback got here with an ironic twist, because the draft was being held at Brooklyn’s Barclays Heart — dwelling of the Nets, the group that despatched the Celtics the picks that turned Brown and Tatum as a part of the commerce that introduced Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett right here in 2013.

In contrast to final yr’s draft, with Wembanyama the apparent choice right through, it was a way more muddled course of this yr, with Risacher, Sarr, Sheppard and UConn middle Donovan Clingan all mentioned as potential choices earlier than Atlanta landed on Risacher with the highest choice.

After the Hawks took Risacher, Washington chosen Sarr, a flexible 7-foot ahead who has drawn some comparisons to longtime NBA star Al Horford, with the second decide, as had been extensively anticipated, setting the stage for the primary true dramatic second when the Rockets went on the clock.

Houston, which had the third decide as a result of it acquired it from the Nets within the James Harden commerce in 2021, took Sheppard — the sharpshooter who hit 52% of his 3s with the Wildcats — including to a burgeoning younger expertise base with the Rockets that features guard Amen Thompson, ahead Jabari Smith Jr. and middle Alperen Sengun.

“It was unbelievable … a dream come true,” Sheppard stated. “… They’ve a very good factor moving into Houston. The coach [Ime Udoka] is admittedly good. They’ve a bunch of actually younger, athletic guys, and we’ll have the ability to play quick. It may be enjoyable.”

Sheppard, who’s listed at 6-foot-2, is the fifth participant that top or shorter to be picked within the prime three of the NBA draft up to now 30 years, in line with ESPN Stats & Info. He is also the third Kentucky guard to be taken within the prime 5 of an NBA draft, becoming a member of John Wall (2010) and De’Aaron Fox (2017).

That meant one other Texas group, the Spurs, was on the clock with the fourth decide — its first of two, together with the eighth decide, on this yr’s lottery. The Spurs drew an enormous cheer from the gang in Brooklyn by taking Stephon Fortress, a guard from two-time defending nationwide champion UConn.

“I used to be simply enjoying for one of the best coach in school basketball and now flipping to the NBA and going to play for a legendary coach like Coach Pop, it is a blessing,” Fortress stated.

With the fifth decide, the Detroit Pistons had been one other group with some intrigue, as a number of groups have been probably seeking to commerce as much as draft Clingan, the highest defensive participant on this draft. Finally, nevertheless, the Pistons stood pat and drafted Ron Holland II, a 6-foot-7 ahead who spent this previous season with the G League Ignite.

The Hornets then continued the French connection on the prime of this draft by taking Salaun, a protracted, rangy, 6-foot-9 ahead who spent the previous season enjoying for Cholet Basket in France.

“I believe the basketball in France has improved, and that is why we’re right here on this draft,” Salaun stated. “Three French gamers within the prime 10, it isn’t nothing.”

That left Clingan on the board for the Portland Path Blazers, who had been hoping to land the middle with the seventh decide, they usually have been capable of get him there.

Drafting Clingan additionally opened up extra questions on the way forward for different members of the Path Blazers, together with facilities Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams, as Portland continues to retool its roster after buying and selling the 14th decide earlier within the night as a part of a cope with the Wizards for ahead Deni Avdija.

That was adopted by the Minnesota Timberwolves, contemporary off making the Western Convention finals, buying and selling a 2031 first-round decide and a 2030 first-round decide swap to the Spurs for the rights to the eighth decide within the draft — a decide Minnesota used to seize big-time scoring guard Rob Dillingham out of Kentucky.

The Memphis Grizzlies, having missed out on shifting as much as get Clingan, then grabbed Purdue middle Zach Edey — the 7-foot-4 nationwide participant of the yr — with the ninth choice. The Utah Jazz then picked Cody Williams — the youthful brother of Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder ahead Jalen Williams — with the tenth choice.

The Chicago Bulls then took ahead Matas Buzelis, a Windy Metropolis native who performed for G League Ignite, with the eleventh decide, earlier than Oklahoma Metropolis drafted Serbian level guard Nikola Matter, who has {a partially} torn ACL and will miss your complete season, with the twelfth choice.

Sacramento then took Windfall guard Devin Carter — the son of longtime NBA guard Anthony Carter — with the thirteenth decide.

The Wizards (although the decide was formally made by Portland) rounded out the lottery by taking Carlton “Bub” Carrington, a 6-foot-4 guard out of Pittsburgh, with the 14th choice.

Later within the first spherical, the Denver Nuggets traded up from the twenty eighth decide to the twenty second total choice with the Phoenix Suns to take Dayton huge man DaRon Holmes. To take action, the Nuggets traded not solely the twenty eighth decide, but in addition the 56th decide and second-round picks in 2026 and 2031, as Phoenix added to its severely depleted pool of draft picks.

The Knicks, who entered the evening with the twenty fourth and twenty fifth picks on this yr’s draft, traded the twenty fourth decide to Washington for the twenty sixth and 51st alternatives, with Washington utilizing its third first-rounder of the evening to seize Miami ahead Kyshawn George.

New York then grabbed Dadiet with the twenty fifth decide, earlier than buying and selling the twenty sixth decide to the Thunder, who used it to take Weber State ahead Dillon Jones. In trade, the Knicks acquired 5 second-round picks from Oklahoma Metropolis.

The second spherical of the draft shall be held Thursday at ESPN’s Seaport District studios (4 p.m. ET, ESPN).