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6 hours ago
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Some positive Atlanta Hawks news dropped today when their rookie was named to the NBA First Team All-Rookie team. Zaccharie Risacher received the second-most first-place votes of any rookie. In fact, Risacher was only one vote short of being unanimously named to the First Team.
Although it has yet to be revealed who caused Risacher to miss out on being unanimously named, the fact that the media believes he is the second-best rookie from this year’s class is a huge win.
He was also named runner-up to win the 2025 Rookie of the Year Award.
Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, had a surprisingly positive rookie season. Standing 6'8" and turning only 20 during the season, Risacher showed that he could contribute on a Play-In Tournament-bound squad even as an inexperienced rookie.
Risacher's stats during his rookie season were impressive as well. He averaged 12.6 points per game and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 35.5% from three.
The Hawks are hoping Risacher’s First-Team All-Rookie Team selection is a sign of more to come. Risacher proved that not only could he hit an outside shot, but that he had defensive potential on the wing as well.
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Atlanta does seem to be at a bit of a turning point, feeling a lot closer to the lottery than the Eastern Conference Finals they reached a few seasons ago.
With Risacher on the rise, the team has to decide whether they want to continue building around Trae Young or look at their number one overall pick from last season to lead them into the future.
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