ATLANTA – There's a lot that comes with being the No. 1 pick in the league, and Zaccharie Risacher is living in it. Luckily for him, he has a great group of teammates that will help him through this journey. Trae Young was not a No. 1 pick, but he came with the expectation of being the future of the Hawks.
Since Risacher has been drafted, Young has tried to help the rookie and show him the ropes, and he's still in his ear giving him advice that he's gotten and advice that he wishes he had gotten as a rookie as well.
“I give him advice on some of the things that were given to me,” Young said at practice. “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.”
When Young was a rookie, he had a veteran in Vince Carter to help him navigate through the league, and even though he's only been in the league for seven years, the hope is that he can give knowledge to Risacher.
“Not everybody has been able to be in my shoes. I played with Vince [Carter], and Vince was able to give me a lot knowledge as a rookie,” Young said. “But at the same time, I wasn’t the No. 1 pick, and it’s a lot of more pressure that comes with that, and I understand that.”
Hawks will help Zaccharie Risacher as he navigates rookie season
The Hawks want nothing but success for Zaccharie Risacher, but they also know that there will be some bumps and bruises as he goes through his rookie season. During the preseason, head coach Quin Snyder shared some analysis on Risacher and his feel for the game.
“He’s just got to throw himself into the game,” Snyder said. “When you are the No. 1 pick, people are going to be analyzing everything that you’re doing, good and bad. He’s going to have more good games, he’s going to have some bad games. But seeing him have fun with his teammates was what I enjoyed.”
In Risacher's first NBA game, he finished with seven points and shot 2-of-8 from the field, but most of his looks were good. Risacher is in a position where he shouldn't have that many expectations on him due to the fact the Hawks are a team that's looking to win. With most No. 1 picks, they're looked at to be a franchise player and lead the team that drafted them in the future.
This is a good position for Risacher to be in because he can play his game and make mistakes without a microscope being on him. By the end of the season, there will be a big improvement in Risacher's game, and it will be because the Hawks let him play his game.
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