The Atlanta Hawks faced the Houston Rockets tonight in their preseason finale, losing 115-133. While the outcome of a preseason game does not matter in the grand scheme of things, there was no shortage of intrigue as the new-look Hawks took on the Rockets once again.
This was not a normal cross-conference matchup. Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson got the rest, but the Hawks were able to roll out most of their normal lineup. The Rockets, on the other hand, were without almost all of their top guys.
Head Coach Ime Udoka announced pre-game that Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason would all miss tonight's game. After hearing that information, the outcome of the game was a bit unexpected.
Regardless of who was on the floor for the opposing team, Atlanta knew the absence of Daniels and Johnson would make a win harder to come by. They needed Zaccharie Risacher to step up in their absence, and he did just that.
His impact was felt as soon as the game tipped off. In the first quarter, Risacher was attacking the glass and getting out in transition. His first three buckets of the game were all off of hard cuts. He finished the first quarter with 6 points, 2 rebounds, and a steal on 3/4 from the floor.
The dominance did not stop there. Early in the second quarter, Risacher impressed the Atlanta crowd by doing his best Kevin Durant impression. He was alone at the top of the key and after a few crossovers, he hit a step-back three in the face of his defender.
This newfound self-creation ability was not just a one time thing...
A few possessions later, he created his own shot off the dribble once more. This time, he went right at his defender for a difficult lay. While this may seem like nothing to write home about, Hawks fans know good and well why this is an important development.
Even though Risacher had a solid rookie season, his lack of confidence with the ball in his hands held him back at times. His abiliity as an off-ball scorer was impressive, but he was limited in that crucial aspect of his game.
Risacher finished the game with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists on an efficient 10/17 from the floor and 2/4 from deep. He was also impactful on the defensive end, racking up 2 steals and a block.
If his clear improvements as an on-ball scorer continue to show during the regular season, Atlanta will have one of the most stacked starting lineups in the NBA.