The Atlanta Hawks are in a weird place. They are reeling from the repercussions of letting Luka Doncic go to the Dallas Mavericks by betting on Trae Young, and they now find themselves with the top pick of the 2024 Draft.
While they’re trying to figure out what to do with the man who was supposed to be the franchise’s savior, the #1 pick allows them to be prepared for any instance.
They took their chances and picked Zaccharie Risacher as the top selection of the 2024 Draft. They liked what they saw in the Frenchman and his potential to become a reliable running mate to Young or as a potential building block if they do decide to cash in on the Oklahoma alum.
While fans are now busy searching Risacher’s highlights, one former NCAA standout could not believe that the Hawks decided to select him. He explicitly stated that he doesn’t think the French teen was the right player to pick for the Hawks.
Frank Mason thinks the Atlanta Hawks could have gotten a better player than Zaccharie Risacher
College hoops fans who followed the Big 10 in the mid-2010s would remember Frank Mason. The 5’11” guard was a standout performer for the Kansas Jayhawks, averaging 20.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in his senior year.
He bounced around the NBA after graduation, playing for Sacramento, Milwaukee, and Orlando before taking his talents overseas. The 5’11” guard is currently playing in France, where he got an up-close look at the #1 pick of the 2024 Draft.
He believes that the Atlanta Hawks could have gotten another player who would better improve their team, as reported by The Spun’s Kameron Duncan:
“Played this young guy in France this past season; no way he’s the number one pick in the NBA draft lol, but I guess!,” said Frank Mason on Wednesday night after Risacher was selected.
“like the youngin as a player but I think as the number one pick you gotta be able to do more than just shoot 3s and play defense,” Mason said.
“But it’s also about fit soooooo…I guess that was the best option for the hawks.”
Risacher was a solid performer for Bourg in the LNB Pro A, the top pro basketball league in France. He averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks in 32 games. While it’s true that such numbers were disappointing, it’s important to remember that he managed to get these numbers while playing against grown men.
Credit: AP Photo
Maybe Mason is onto something, or the Hawks probably saw something in Risacher that the former NBA player failed to notice. Whatever the case may be, the ball is now on Risacher to prove his doubters wrong.
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