“I’m real excited about what’s going to happen,” Risacher said. “I just want to do my best to help the team. I just feel like I can help a lot. I’m ready to do whatever it takes to be able to get on the court with those great players.”

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Standing at 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds, the 19-year-old Risacher is expected to be a foundational player for a Hawks team that has not won a playoff series since 2021. Risacher is known as a strong defender who should help Atlanta’s defensive efficiency, which was 27th overall last year.

He is also a solid ball-handler who averaged 11.1 points and 4 rebounds throughout the EuroCup and his season with Bourg. The biggest question about Risacher is his shooting ability, which was inconsistent throughout his final season in France. 

Basketball runs in Risacher’s family. His father, Stephane Risacher, won a silver medal with France at the 2000 Olympic Games and was a longtime French professional basketball player. 

The first overall pick was the Hawks’ only selection in the draft and only the second time the franchise has selected first overall. The first time was 1975 when Atlanta selected David Thompson, who never played for the franchise. The pick was a surprise for the Hawks as well; they had only a 3% chance of the first overall pick at the draft lottery back in May. Atlanta was initially projected to select 11th overall. 

Some wondered if Hawks general manager Landry Fields would trade down as the Hawks have no other selections in the Draft and few in future drafts. Especially with no consensus first-overall pick, Fields likely could have selected several good players for the price of the top pick.

But Fields opted to keep the pick for the rare opportunity to pick first overall. He now has to plan the rest of Atlanta’s team as trade rumors have followed stars Trae Young and Dejounte Murray for several months.