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The NBA's French takeover continued in the 2024 draft when the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards selected Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr first and second overall. Neither are on fellow French international and 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama's level, but they've both shown future All-Star potential.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle will likely win Rookie of the Year, as he leads the class in points per game (14.5), is fourth in assists (3.9), third in steals (0.9), and fourth in games played (77). However, Risacher and Sarr are second and third on the NBA's latest Rookie Ladder.
Castle's numbers spiked after Wembanyama was shut down in February due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. The UConn alum won the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award for March after averaging 19.5 points on 45.6 percent shooting (30.2 percent 3 PT) with 4.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He also won in January after posting 14.9 points on 43.1 percent shooting (28.8 percent 3 PT) with 3.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
Meanwhile, Risacher won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in February and March. The 6-foot-8-inch, 200-pounder averaged 12.8 points on 47.4 percent shooting (44 percent 3 PT) with 4.2 rebounds and 16.3 points on 53.3 percent shooting (39.3 percent 3 PT) with 3.8 boards in March. He ranks third among rookies in average points (12.4).
Finally, Sarr won the East's monthly award in December after averaging 13.8 points on 46.1 percent shooting (45.5 percent 3 PT) with 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 blocks. However, the seven-footer missed all but two games in February with an ankle injury, which robbed him of his Rookie-of-the-Year momentum. Still, he ranks second among rookies in points per game (13), fifth in rebounds (6.5), and second in blocks (1.5).
Risacher, who's played 71 games against Sarr's 63 ahead of Tuesday night's slate, has a more complete body of work than Washington's new big man. However, Sarr has impacted more areas of the game.
With that being said, who's been better this season?
Wizards and Hawks should both be happy with top rookies
Sarr and Rissacher have both made NBA history. The former has the most games by a teenager with one three-pointer made and one block and is the youngest-ever center (19) to reach 100 career made three-pointers, via StatMamba. Meanwhile, the latter is only the fourth No. 1 overall pick to notch 35-plus points and five-plus threes in a game as a rookie, via StatMuse. The other three are Allen Iverson, LeBron James, and Anthony Edwards.
Risacher did so in Atlanta's 145-124 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on March 30, notching a career-high 36 points (12-21 FG, 5-11 3 PT) with six rebounds and one steal in 35 minutes. Sarr had a similar performance in the Wizards' 126-123 win over the Denver Nuggets on March 15, registering a career-best 34 points (12-28 FG, 5-9 3 PT) with six rebounds, five assists, one block, and one steal in 32 minutes.
Neither player has been spotless, as Sarr shot no better than 33.3 percent from the field in three of his last five games, while Risacher is shooting just 27.8 percent from deep in April. They also both play under their size at times, as Risacher is just 141st in the league with 3.6 boards per game, while Sarr is barely outrebounding shorter teammates such as the 6-foot-9-inch Richaun Holmes (5.7), 6-foot-6-inch Justin Champagnie (5.3), and 6-foot-8-inch Bilal Coulibaly (five). However, it'll be hard for the Wizards or Hawks to complain when their top picks receive All-Rookie First Team honors.
It's not easy for international players to get used to the fast pace and physical style of the NBA, but both Sarr and Risacher have displayed enough promise for their respective teams to be happy with their investments.
