Kristaps Porzingis Sees A Big Jump This Season For Young Hawks Forward

Risacher was one of the top rookies in the league last season, what could year two have in store?

Sep 29, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Mandatory Credit: Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) poses for a photo during Media Day. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Training camp has begun for the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks opened up practice today and one of the more interesting teams in the Eastern Conference is going to start working on what they hope turns out to be a season with a deep playoff run.

Two of the big pieces for the Hawks are going to be veteran Kristaps Porzingis and second year forward Zaccharie Risacher. Risacher was the runner up in the Rookie of the Year Award voting last season, while Porzingis is hoping to bounce back and stay on the court this season, elevating the Hawks interior defense and three point shooting.

Big second year incoming?

Apr 18, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) shoots over Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Both Porzingis and Risacher got to face each other this season in the EuroBasket Tournament, but now they are going to be teaming up to try and form one of the best frontcourts in the NBA. After practice today, Porzingis raved about Risacher's ability and thinks that a big second year is coming:

"I think he is making steps in the right direction and as the season went on last year. He is young, he is hungry, he is running, he is getting to the rim, he is cutting he is the type of player that you want to have on your team. You can tell that he wants to learn, he is listening, he is paying attention to everything and I am here to enhance him and hopefully make his life easier, to learn the game even quicker, to make his reads even quicker and he will be fine. He will keep working on his all around game and that he will make huge steps again this season and going forward."

Kristaps Porzingis after today’s practice pic.twitter.com/CnDRBeoevB

— jackson caudell (@jacksoncaudell) September 30, 2025

Perfect fit?

Risacher seemed to fit right in alongside Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, and Jalen Johnson last season and he got more comfortable as the year went on.

In 75 games (73 starts), Risacher averaged 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 24.6 minutes of action (.458 FG%, .355 3FG%, .711 FT%), becoming the only rookie in the league this season to average at least 10.0 points on .450/.350/.700 shooting splits. Using the same qualifiers as regular season leaders, he led all rookies in field goal percentage, while ranking third in points per game and fourth in three-point percentage. Risacher ranked second amongst all rookies in total points (942) and made field goals (357), fourth in made three-pointers (122) and fifth in made free throws (106). He also owned the highest offensive rating for an Eastern Conference rookie who made at least 65 appearances (112.3).

The No. 1 overall pick owned four games with 30-or-more points this past season, the most 30-point outings by any rookie during the 2024-25 campaign. Three of his four 30-point performances came against top five teams in the East: No. 1 Cleveland (30 points, Jan. 30), No. 3 New York (33 points, Nov. 6), No. 5 Milwaukee (36 points, March 30). Against the top five clubs in the Eastern Conference, Risacher averaged 14.6 points on .497 FG% and .414 3FG% in 17 games.

He poured in a career-high 38 points on 15-20 shooting from the field, including a 6-11 clip from three-point land, in a win over the Brooklyn Nets on April 10, marking the most points scored in a single outing by a rookie during the 2024-25 season. Per Stathead, he was the first rookie in NBA history to finish a game with 35+ points on at least .750 FG% and .500 3FG% (min. 20 FGA, 10 3FGA).

Risacher compiled two games with at least 30 points and zero turnovers this past season, becoming the only teenager in NBA history with multiple 30-point, zero-turnover contests in a season (33 points, zero turnovers, Nov. 6 vs. New York; 30 points, zero turnovers, Jan. 30 at Cleveland).

Over a three-game stretch from Jan. 30 through Feb. 3, Risacher played 80.1 total minutes, netting 64 total points, while committing zero turnovers. Per Elias Sports, he became the youngest player to play 80+ minutes, while netting 60+ points and tallying zero turnovers over a three-game stretch and just the second teenager to do so, joining Jayson Tatum (Jan. 29, 2018 through Feb. 2, 2018).

From Jan. 1 through the end of the regular season, Risacher averaged 14.0 points on .501 FG%, .401 3FG% and .726 FT%. He was the only rookie to average at least 14.0 points on .500/.400/.700 shooting splits over that time and one of only six players in the NBA to do so over that timespan (min. 40 games played), joining Kevin Durant, Domantas Sabonis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine and Christian Braun.

Risacher owned the highest true shooting percentage (.606%) and second-best effective field goal percentage (.591%) amongst all rookies who appeared in at least 30 games since Jan. 1 (min. 25 mpg).