ATLANTA \u2014 (AP) \u2014 Atlanta Hawks rookie Zaccharie Risacher is the lone survivor of the influx of French players who have dominated the top of the last two NBA drafts.<\/p>\n
Risacher and the Hawks will play at Orlando on Tuesday night in the NBA play-in tournament<\/a>. Risacher was still a teen when he became the second straight French player to be the No. 1 overall pick<\/a> in the NBA draft, following San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 draft.<\/p>\n Another French player, Alex Sarr<\/a>, was the No. 2 overall pick by the Washington Wizards in last year’s draft, adding an exclamation point to the impact of the French influence on the league. Washington finished last in the Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n San Antonio also missed the postseason, finishing 13th in the West, so Wembanyama’s season would be over even if he had not been diagnosed with a season-ending right shoulder ailment<\/a> in February.<\/p>\n Wembanyama was enjoying another big season after winning NBA rookie of the year in a unanimous vote last season. The Hawks are pushing Risacher to be recognized as the league’s top rookie this year, though San Antonio’s Stephon Castle<\/a> is the favorite for the award at the BetMGM Sportsbook. Risacher and Sarr could finish in the top three of the voting.<\/p>\n Risacher, who celebrated his 20th birthday on April 8, endured inconsistencies that could be expected of any young player. He finished strong, winning rookie of the month honors in February and March while helping the Hawks overcome the loss of another rising star, Jalen Johnson<\/a>, to season-ending shoulder surgery in late January.<\/p>\n “As far his work ethic, his passion, his competitiveness, he’s got an approach to the game that’s reflective of his character and not of his age,” coach Quin Snyder said of Risacher after Sunday’s 117-105 win over Orlando<\/a> to close the regular season. “I think because of that we’ve just seen steady progress throughout the course of the year.”<\/p>\n Risacher (6-foot-9, 215 pounds) started 73 games and averaged 12.6 points and 3.6 rebounds and finished second on the team, behind top scorer Trae Young, with 122 3-pointers.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like I was just lucky to be on the court every single night and be able to learn, be able to make mistakes,\u201d Risacher said. \u201cI feel like that’s why I’m not the same player I was when I got here, just because I was able to be on the floor and make mistakes and learn from my teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n