Prospect Complexity: Zaccharie Risacher

ARCHETYPE:

6’9 (204-lbs)

2005(18/yo)

The 3&D wing archetype has become a staple in today’s NBA. The pairing of 3-point shooting wings and heliocentric ball-handlers has maximized player gravity and spacing in the most efficient manner possible. As such, 3&D wings come at a premium in the trade market. Thus, teams have looked to the draft to acquire 3&D talent.

At 6'9" and 204-lbs, 18-year-old French prospect Zaccharie Risacher projects as an efficient, impactful 3&D wing. In recent drafts, teams have been very bullish on the tall-shooter prototype, such as Jabari Smith Jr, Brandon Miller, Trey Murphy, and Taylor Hendricks, to name a few. Even with these recent additions to the league, it remains rare to find elite shooters at Risacher’s size.

Risacher is playing overseas in the LNB (French basketball league), the same league where #1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama and #7 overall pick Bilal Coulibaly of the 2023 NBA draft played before entering the NBA. While the LNB isn’t the pinnacle of overseas basketball competition, there shouldn't be significant concerns about Risacher’s performances translating to the NBA. Both Wembanyama and Coulibaly have played very well in relation to their pre-draft expectations.

PROFILE:

At 204 lbs, Risacher is on the thinner side of 6'9" physiques. A dominant physique isn’t necessary for Risacher, as his shot profile resembles that of a spot-up shooter. His overall agility, balance, and resilience when attacking closeouts are more contingent on his success than additional body mass. Defenses will eventually scheme Risacher off the perimeter, forcing him to create off-the-dribble. When catching the ball, Risacher does a sufficient job meeting it. This creates a head start in momentum downhill versus his defender, making up for lackluster straight-line speed.

Risacher plays with a high center of gravity, resulting in inconsistency in rim-finishing and ball security. Generally, there are no issues dribbling east-west; he prefers to create space off the dribble with side-steps. However, north-south, downhill, is where Risacher struggles. His dribbles come up to his waist, making it easy for help-side defenders to dig and poke the ball. He cannot maintain his handle when off-balance or when met with physical defenders. While his handle, in the context of other 18-year-old 6'9" wings, is above average, it is not to be trusted at an NBA level.

Athletically, Risacher is an average prospect. His burst, speed, horizontal/vertical strength, stability, mobility, and agility all level around the average in the NBA context. Risacher's offensive advantage creation will derive from his outlier shot-making and, potentially, crafty ball manipulation, rather than from outlier physical talents like Ja Morant's speed or Giannis' strength.

The natural scoring progression for elite spot-up wings involves generating buckets on the interior by way of attacking closeouts. It's important that Risacher develops both his technical and physical abilities to achieve this consistently in the future.

Risacher is on the thin side of wing-frames, but this isn’t an area of concern. Adding significant body weight isn’t a focus; a 10 to 20-pound weight gain comes natural for players with time. Although 6'9", Risacher’s playstyle as a spot-up shooter doesn’t encourage significant body changes anyway. Rarely will he need to utilize strength to create scoring windows (e.g., post-ups), and his finishing under the rim is more correlated to touch and technique rather than raw strength (Chet Holmgren is one of the more efficient rim-finishers from college to the NBA despite a distinctively thin frame). 

Lengthwise, Risacher has a 6’10 wingspan, considered neutral for his height. Without a length advantage, Risacher must leverage precise technique and timing to create plays on both sides of the floor. The only times his length may become a noticeable handicap are during put-backs and standing dunks.

OFFENSE:

As of January, Risacher is averaging 11.7 points per game, shooting 52.7% from the field, and an astonishing 49.6% from three on over 110 attempts. He’s JL Bourg’s second-leading scorer, only 0.2 behind 1st (11.9 pts).

JL Bourg exploits defensive tendencies by utilizing Risacher on the weak side, taking advantage of defensive sagging against high PnRs. A simple skip pass to an open Risacher has been easy points for his team for what feels like every attempt. He’s shooting 50% 3pt on C&S.

Risacher can scale the speed of his release when needed, does not rely on a heavy gather in his shot prep. Unwavering shot discipline, not fazed by teeming defenders. Also not afraid to a dribble or two off the catch for a relocation three.

Strong off-ball floor perceptivity. Knows where to be relative to the ball-handler. Maintains floor-spacing while actively creating easier passing windows for the ball-handler to kick out to.

He’s shooting 47.6% 3pt off-the-dribble, on significantly lower volume than his C&S attempts (71 less attempts to be exact). Not too much can be said about the shot type with such low volume. He’s cashed in a few impressive stepback threes, while also having a few brutal misses. Nonetheless, Risacher is undoubtedly more comfortable shooting C&S than off-the-dribble.

Solid process attacking closeouts, but technique requires improvement. Off the catch, Risacher prefers to utilize subtle rocker steps or side-steps over shot fakes to create an advantage. He isn’t exceedingly quick laterally, periodically allowing his defender to recover in doing so. In the paint, he doesn’t force rim attacks. If the big helps over to contest, Risacher will quickly transition into a floater. He’s converting 40% on floaters, which is above average among prospects his age. Impressive, relative to his height. 

Risacher, however, is finding trouble against contact. He’s not a good absorber, nor does he currently possess the craft to slip around defenders without turning the ball over. 

Risacher struggles organizing as a ball-handler, especially when leaping. He predominantly opts for a "two-foot" jumping style. In situations where a single-leg takeoff would be more appropriate, he uses two, and conversely, in scenarios suited for a double-leg takeoff, he uses one. This awkward leaping style in traffic results in a low vertical and poor rim finishing.

While in the air, his arms tend to flail after release, indicating limited core strength. At first glance, it may seem that Risacher has poor touch, but it's more likely that his lack of physical strength is inhibiting him from finding consistency around the rim, especially through defenders.

There's much left to the imagination regarding Risacher as a playmaker. In 34 games, he has 36 assists and 53 turnovers, resulting in a negative assist-to-turnover ratio both in the halfcourt and transition. He excels at making plays from the middle of the floor, specifically the nail, delivering passes to baseline cutters or open shooters on the wing, even in tight windows. These passes are expected to improve with enhanced spacing and year-over-year development as a driver.

When operating from the wing, Risacher is more prone to committing turnovers than producing assists. His skip and swing passes are often slow and generally inaccurate, easily telegraphed by defenders. While he enjoys making flashy plays for others, he lacks the ball-handling facility to consistently execute these plays.

Majority of Risacher’s turnovers stem from poor ball-handling mechanics. Loses the ball easily through contact, dribbles up to his waist at times. Doesn’t cover much ground going northeast/northwest (euro-steps), either runs into the defender or loses handle.

Risacher can be an elite spot-up shooter in the league. Footwork must be cleaned up to improve effectiveness off the dribble, and the handle must mature to sustain offensive value when defenses run him off the line. Almost a 50% 3pt shooter on over 110 attempts. 6 '9 in a professional league at 18 years old. The perimeter shooting is unequivocal. 

DEFENSE:

Risacher is averaging a single steal and 0.4 blocks through 34 games. Not standout numbers, but good to see production, nonetheless. Regardless of the numbers, Risacher has incredibly precise timing when contesting jumpers or layups off drives. Blocks come infrequently but he’s forcing tough shots. Impressive reactive skills one-on-one.

Risacher isn't a particularly active defender; he fulfills his role and quickly transitions to the next possession. True 3&D archetypes tend to be more proactive, both on and off the ball, with their impact reflected in statistical indicators like steal, block, or defensive rebound rates. NBA examples include Tari Eason, OG Anunoby, and Alex Caruso. Risacher lacks these statistical indicators, suggesting that he doesn't fit the mold of that type of wing defender. His defensive impact is more likely to manifest on a team basis rather than individually.

On-ball, Risacher consistently fulfills his role and responsibilities. He contests well against catch-and-shoot scenarios, keeping his hands high and avoiding fouling the shooter. His recovery is effective when there's no screen. However, his closeout technique needs refinement, with occasional haphazard footwork that leads to overcommitting on three-point contests, leaving an open lane to the basket. This issue appears to be a straightforward fix under NBA coaching staff. Notably, when under control, Risacher demonstrates excellent deceleration skills, making him a strong matchup against ball-handlers who play with pace and showcasing the ability to stop and go on a dime.

While Risacher has done an incredible job flipping his hips to track left-right drives, his lateral movement is noticeably weak. There's minimal ground coverage generated from his lateral shuffles, and he tends to quickly defer to running instead. Without tremendous burst, transitioning from a defensive stance to a sprint while staying at least hip level to the defender proves to be remarkably difficult.

The PnR has been Risacher’s great weakness defensively. He struggles to navigate screens effectively, often failing to get skinny to go over the top. While he would prefer to go under, the Bourg defensive scheme requires otherwise. Risacher's liability as a PnR defender hasn't significantly impacted JL Bourg's overall defense, as their frontcourt has done an impeccable job forcing turnovers and difficult shots on the interior. With a change in technique, he's likely to improve. However, NBA teams may attempt to exploit this weakness by targeting him in the PnR with their star scorers until improvements are made.

Unsurprisingly, Risacher's lack of strength renders him ineffective against big wings/bigs in the paint, particularly in post-up situations. He struggles to absorb shoulder contact, making it challenging for him to grab contested defensive rebounds. Additionally, he lacks the reactive strength and length required to effectively contest at the rim with standing vertical jumps.

Bogdan Bogdanovic is the first wing that comes to mind when I think of ~6’9 wings that shoot at an elite level, but their size has little to no value defensively. Bogdanovic is 34 in his 10th NBA season, starting, and averaging 20 points per game. While it’s disappointing that Risacher’s size more than likely has zero impact defensively, there’s still clear upside and long-term value for him in the league. His defensive drawbacks shouldn't be a deal-breaker.

Off-ball, Risacher isn’t a playmaker, but he is active when needed. He's not aggressive in passing lanes, and he doesn’t straddle between sagging off and playing up; he sticks to one and plays his role. He's a disciplined defender who doesn't get backdoored due to heavy ball-watching. Risacher knows where to be on the floor, when to switch, and when not to switch. Fundamentally, he understands the operation of whatever defensive scheme he's in. He is not inept, and that's significant.