NBA Draft: Zaccharie Risacher Enters Draft as Intriguing Option
French forward Zaccharie Risacher entered his name to the 2024 NBA Draft Monday.
Zaccharie Risacher, a 19-year-old French forward, has submitted his paperwork to the league office, making him eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft, per ESPN.
A 6-foot-9 wing-forward hybrid, Risacher has come on as one of the more intriguing options in the class, and is projected to go within the top-five per most draft experts.
In 27 games so far in the LNB Pro A league — the same league Victor Wembanyama earned MVP in just a year ago — Risacher has averaged 9.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 43% overall and 34% from beyond the arc.
"It's always been my dream to get to the best league in the world," Risacher told ESPN. "I've been putting the work in for this since I was a kid. JL Bourg has given me an incredible opportunity to showcase what I can do. It's been the perfect place to start my young career. I'm really grateful to have the opportunity to play for this organization."
Risacher possesses immense length for his position, and has obvious feel for the game on both ends of the court. He’s projected to play a three-and-D role, but things haven’t been clear cut on that front in the LNB Pro A.
Despite a respectable season overall, Risacher has struggled lately, hitting on just seven of his 33 attempted 3-pointers in his last nine games.
Per Draft Digest’s earlier scouting report: “Risacher has proven to be a solid 3-point shooter to this point, but still has work to do. Beyond the numbers however, there’s a more impressive aspect which is the versatility, as he is able to convert shots off movement at an impressive rate considering his size and age.
“With his ability to prepare and get his shot off quickly, Risacher is effective in shots that require him to relocate or to catch on the hop. This allows him to shoot coming off screens and against heavy defensive pressure. His most impressive moments, however, come off the dribble, where he’s able to utilize his combination of size, fluidity and footwork to create his own shot in the perimeter and release over smaller defenders.”
Risacher has likely earned himself top-10 status with his performances this season. And any team in dire need of length, shooting and stingy perimeter defense could be in the market for his talents as high as the top-three.
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