Hawks' Quin Snyder drops 'aggressive' take on Zaccharie Risacher's first NBA start
Yesterday at 09:15 PM
Zaccharie Risacher got his first taste of being a starter against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and had an overall solid performance, finishing with 13 points, six rebounds, and two assists.
The rookie has shown his ability to play both sides of the ball, and head coach Quin Snyder had nothing but good things to say about his first start.
“The minutes that he played, I thought he was aggressive. The one thing to me that stood out last night is that he had to take some challenges defensively and he embraced that,” Snyder said. “Like with Jalen [Johnson], this is just a process. Figuring out how to get better in these NBA games and are going to continue in that competition, and with last night some of the matchups that he had, and he’s going to continue to have.
“He's realistic about the fact that you're going to take your lumps every now and then if you put it out there. And a guy that loves to play and compete understands that and continues to fight through it.”
As the season progresses, Risacher will have more opportunities to start, but he’ll be playing meaningful minutes with the Hawks.
Zaccharie Risacher getting advice from Trae Young in rookie season
Trae Young has been helping Zaccharie Risacher navigate early through his rookie season, and he’s using the advice that he got in his first year in the league from Vince Carter.
"I give him advice on some of the things that were given to me," Young said. "If they weren't given to me, I would've liked these things to be given to me. I want him to feel as less pressure as possible. When you go out there relaxed, and you go out there and feel confident in your game and play free, that's when you perform at your best.
"Him being the No. 1 pick, that's a lot of pressure in itself. As one of the leaders on the team I just want him to relieve as much stress and not put as much pressure on him. He's 19; just let him go out there and play free and be himself, and that'll ultimately make him his best version."
Risacher is not your typical No. 1 pick, but that might be the best thing for the rookie as he goes through his rookie season. Most rookies are thrust into the team’s starting lineup, and expectations are high, but for Risacher, he can come off the bench and make mistakes, while also learning from the players that are ahead of him.
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