The NBA recognized Hawks rookie Zaccharie Risacher’s work during his first season by naming the 20-year-old to the All-Rookie first team Tuesday.
Risacher received 99 first-place votes and one second-place vote to finish second, behind Stephon Castle, a Spurs guard from Newton High School in Covington who was chosen this season’s Rookie of the Year.
A Lyon, France, native, Risacher averaged 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 75 games. He was the only rookie this season to average at least 10 points per game, while shooting 45% from the field and 35% from 3.
The top overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, Risacher finished his rookie campaign with four games in which he scored 30 or more points, the most 30-point outings by any rookie this season. Three of those outings happened in games against the Eastern Conference’s top five teams, including the first-place Cavaliers (30 points on Jan. 30), the third-place Knicks (33 points on Nov. 6) and the fifth-place Bucks (36 points on March 30).
On April 10, he scored a career-high 38 points on 15-of-20 shooting from the field, with six 3-point shots, in the Hawks’ win over the Nets. Those 38 were the most points scored in a game by a rookie this season.
Risacher finished second behind Castle in voting for Rookie of the Year. Castle also received first-team votes on all 100 ballots from a global media panel.
Joining Risacher and Castle on the All-Rookie first team are Grizzlies center Zach Edey and forward Jaylen Wells, and Wizards forward/center Alex Sarr, who is also from France.
Risacher and Sarr, who were the first and second overall picks in the 2024 draft, respectively, are the first two players from the same country outside of the United States to be named to the NBA All-Rookie first team in the same season.
Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, Wizards guard Bub Carrington, Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan, Pelicans center Yves Missi and Heat center Kel’el Ware were named to the All-Rookie second team.
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