Potential #1 Pick in NBA Draft, Zaccharie Risacher GOES OFF for 28 Points | Game Theory Podcast

Zaccharie Risacher scores a career high 28 points pre NBA Draft to potentially increase his draft stock. We take a look at the tape and tell you what we see.
Follow Sam Vecenie on X
/ sam_vecenie
Listen on Audio
Apple- bit.ly/3SpkHFJ
Spotify- bit.ly/3OvPvU2
Sam Vecenie, a Senior NBA Writer at The Athletic, talks all about basketball. From the NBA, to the NBA Draft, to college hoops and even some high school, Vecenie is has you covered in this show.

[@BrianKervick]

Great segment. Would love to do one of these for Castle analyzing his potential ability to play point. UConn+HS tape.

[@jumangeez4255]

I agree with this. Also his shot and potential shot going forward. Basically I think Castle has the highest upside if he can actually shoot and create but based on UConn time not clear he can

[@alexchoi2060]

I would love to see one for Holland-- not the early games, but one of the later games

[@TheSportsandFilmFellowship]

The pump fake and two dribble dunk was so impressive. That’s a pro move.

[@delphes5984]

If his stats translate the same way Wemby's did, I imagine he'll get around 16 points and 6 rebounds average if he can play 30+ minutes per game, in his rookie year. Doesn't sound quite like a roty statline but would be pretty good nonetheless

[@erich3784]

GREAT content guys. GREAT fucking content Sam

[@TheRodo92]

as a French I have a question. Wemby being French and obviously successful as a rookie, do you believe that Sarr and Risacher are gaining in popularity at least a bit coz they are French too ?

[@-Yu_Tsugami]

depends on what they can accomplish in their rookie year.

[@michaelkoelsch146]

I think so... I don't see the hype for Zac. I am seeing bilal coulibally with a more consistent jumper when I watch him.. The impression I am getting is that he is considered to be a lock as a decent 3 and D wing. For a projected #1 pick... That's wild. This draft is also bad so teams may draft sarr for upside. I honestly see no point to getting Zac with a top 3 pick

[@arshaddahlan]

My top 6 is Sarr, Risacher, Shepperd, Castle, Dillingham and Topic. Still really like Risacher, would love him on the Blazers

[@ZeroSilence8]

Wow, I can’t believe you left Donovan Clingan out of your top-6.. shame on you! 😤

[@dougiet.2112]

Topic. Why?

[@Cmez872]

Great stuff guys, very helpful

[@Andre25167]

Richaser scoring 28 in the playoffs is a big deal, how many times have we seen players look good in reg season then tank in playoffs? In playoffs theres no pressure some handle it better than others.

[@daniel_e]

Really easy to see the MPJ comp here. But is he playing like MPJ in Europe and then that transitions to a less than that over here or can he turn into MPJ+ (which would be a great prospect in this draft)?

[@theeggreat4]

I think he will be a worse MPJ. I also like Mike Miller as a comp.

[@SeasonsAndSloan]

The most efficient shot in basketball is the dunk, and Risacher has just enough height and athleticism to be a lob threat off ball, while also punishing closeouts with a rack attack. He’s stronger than he gets credit for

[@williamhumphrey2530]

He was awful last summer during fiba play. Ajinca played much better. Curious what he has improved on since then.

[@cuttino]

- His narrow base is definitely of concern. He might be able to correct his footwork at some way but will always have narrow high hips. - OTOH, he shows solid footwork at some fakes, jab steps, and stepbacks. - He looks soft, but any skinny 19 yo guy looks soft against pros. This is not an NCAA film. - He shows good touch and confidence with the ball. You can see that he's vertical with the ball. His shoulders are low when he attacks. He dares to go for the dunk against the helper. He dares to shoot 1on1 stepback 3s at 19, and that's not common at all when you see kids playing pro basketball in Europe. - I see him OK athletically, given his size, to finish closeouts at NBA level. - The fact that his coach puts him to defend guards, tells me he has some lateral quickness or potential defending those situations. Definitely not the experience, given how bad he reads and defends the screens. But I think he might be able to defend wings pretty well 1on1 on situations, given his size and decent quickness. - His handles with the off hand look ok at this age and given his size. - Remember, he's a VERY tall wing (almost 6-9 barefoot). He doesn't have to be perfect tecnically to be able to create an OK shot for himself. His handles don't look terrible, actually look very good for a 6-9 / 6-10 guy. I think he won't have issues to score in the NBA. Creation is another thing. - I struggle to see him as a star, but have little doubts that he's a guy who can help you offensively, in many ways. Off the ball, transitions, rebounding, closeouts, some 1on1s... I don't see him playing PF minutes, he's a pure wing.

[@cuttino]

BTW. Great video Sam! You're a reference to me at getting to know NBA players. Congrats for your job. Greetings from Spain.

[@user-mg8zh4cg3o]

Sarr runs the floor like no other player of his size in this draft. He has a nice fade jumper that can't be blocked. This will be his best shot in the NBA. Hawks, please draft Sarr! Risacher is a bench player.

[@Glennweside]

Both have high upside

[@roslolian11]

It grinds my gears people want Reed Sheppard over Risacher for the Rockets.

[@bballer191]

Rockets have plenty of wings already (who are better than Risacher). They need backcourt help. Sheppard makes more sense for them.

[@simer8696]

@@bballer191 no he dosen't we need bpa and that's castle or risacher

[@ZeroSilence8]

@@bballer191Risacher seems well suited for the 2-guard position if you ask me so I’d take him if I’m the Rockets.

[@scottwickett1273]

@@simer8696 Nobody knows who the BPA is.

[@roslolian11]

@@scottwickett1273 Nobody knows but a Risacher and Castle have higher chance of being BPA than Sheppard.

[@TheSportsandFilmFellowship]

I think he’s the best player in the draft. He’s a beast. Reminds me of MPJ or Klay. His lowside is Batum

[@ZeroSilence8]

Klay’s success comes from playing with Steph and being a plus defender earlier in his career. MPJ’s success comes from playing with Jokic and being 6’10” giving him the ability to shoot over the top of almost anyone guarding him. Batum has long been a journey man, and Risacher will probably have a career similar to his unless he gets teamed with a superstar whom will unlock his full potential. He’s definitely not the best player in the draft imo; that award goes to Donovan Clingan. 🏆

[@Kenny-bj2zq]

I think his upside is Batum he has to be a lot better then where he is right now

[@mimocode]

damn if someone never heard of this guy and watched this vid he might think this can't do anything

[@red2play512]

When Zaccharie Risacher hit the floor and was turning the ball over so much, he gave me PTSD from when John Collins would do the same thing over and over again. FIVE turnovers, Jeesh. I wouldn't pick him in the top 10. He's trash.

[@zermanman9891]

Damn my hawks might be cooked

[@LoveNLife700]

Topic 8th to the spurs and Risacher at 4

[@BOnYTB]

Mr. Producer, (sorry I think your name was mentioned before but I don’t remember…love the intro btw!) or whoever’s part of the show that sees this, there’s a typo in the “…more” link on the videos. You have to hit it twice. I sent Sam a DM about it a while back and just remembered again today to check but it’s still there. Not sure how far back it goes, I doubt anyone cares enough to go back and fix every video lol. Figured you’d want to know for the future though. ✌️ Edit: in case it’s not clear what I’m talking about, it says “is has you covered” in that thing that tells you about the show etc. I don’t even remember how I stumbled upon that so I really have absolutely no clue how far back it goes beside checking a few vids when I sent the DM to make sure it wasn’t just that one.

[@joshuarobertdaniels]

Isn't that what he is supposed to be though? A guy that keeps the defense honest if they want to force the issue? I'd see that being big time in SA where folks pack in on Wemby.

[@BOnYTB]

Absolutely, he needs to be able to punish defenses for even thinking about leaving him open like that off the catch. They were just trying to give context on his 3P%, he’s almost 40% after playing like 60 games which is a huge sample size for someone that young. But really good shooters don’t get left open like that. As they said throughout the video he needs to clean up some footwork stuff to become more consistent though, so while he def projects to be a very good 3P shooter…he likely won’t come right in to the league as a knockdown shooter. And that’s his main skill is the shooting right now. He needs to get bigger and get better at attacking closeouts that aren’t just easy fly-by 1-2 dribbles to a dunk. He has the height and length to be a good defender and he’s shown flashes of being one, but that’ll take time too. He has the second best odds to go #1 right now and is a lock to go T5, probably a lock to go T3. He’d probably be a pick in the 7-12 range in a normal draft I’d guess? Maybe 7-10 idk, but they’re just trying to give the good and the bad. I’d be shocked if he came in to the league and had an impact like Brandon Miller did right away or even Jabari Smith Jr, he’s seemingly going to be more of a project. I’m a DET fan and I’d be thrilled if he fell to them at 5 though I can’t imagine that happens lol. I’m no expert by any means so I’m just giving my opinion but that’s how I understood this. I expect them to pick apart every prospect like this, not in a negative way but just giving the true evaluation in a draft where everyone is very flawed, more than usual for top x picks. I’d like him on SAS too btw.

[@joshuarobertdaniels]

@@BOnYTB I agree 💯% he needs to clean up his base on the catch, and I understand they are trying to temper expectations with context. But I don't understand the reason behind the concerns he won't enter the league as a good shooter. Like you said, 40% on a good sample size, doesn't that seem to indicate as well as anything can that he is going to be a good shooter? I watched the Spurs all year, if they'd have had just one guy that could catch a kick out in the corner and consistently knock down it would have changed the whole outlook of our offense. The idea that good shooters don't get left open doesn't really correlate to what I see in the NBA. Watch Denver, Dallas, Boston, or New York... There are good shooters getting wide open on those teams constantly or Nikola, Tatum, Luka, and Jalen would be unstoppable. MPJ, DiVincenzo, Allen, Hauser they all make a living off it. The D is the bigger concern for me. His fundamentals on D are way underdeveloped for someone that is going to have to bring that to the table.

[@pheralanpathfinder4897]

I have Risacher as a near lock to go top two. The one doubt is the Wizards reaching for someone. He might not be as good as Miller but being close is still a top prospect in this draft class.

[@Kenny-bj2zq]

I think the issue is that in any other draft your NEVER going to spend a top 5 draft pick on a guy who is just a 3 & D player..

[@pheralanpathfinder4897]

@@Kenny-bj2zq Keegan Murray and Brandon Miller weren't much more than 3&D. This is a very weak draft class but still has a couple players who would be in the conversation for top five pick.

[@nazcraz11]

Is it a huge compliment that Risacher is shooting this well on the season, if his base is as bad as y'all say it is?

[@scottwickett1273]

Neither?

[@ebinterior8974]

Risacher has over 1500 minutes of competitive play while Sarr has barely over 400. Why take Sarr? He's at least a year away from where Risacher is right now.

[@knep24]

Killian Hayes had over 1000 minutes of competitive play (and would've had a lot more if covid didn't end his final season), and LaMelo Ball had 375... Sarr can be derrick lively day one in the NBA, which is a starter on an NBA final four playoff team. Risacher doesn't have the floor Sarr does.

[@YonkoAcuna]

That’s kind of the point right? People are higher on Sarr’s ceiling and a lot of that based on the fact that he is still gaining game experience and development

[@joshuarobertdaniels]

@@knep24 Sarr's game isn't comparable to Lively's in my opinion. He doesn't have the hands or power to be much of a lob threat in pnr at this point. He seems a lot more contact averse to me as well. I get what you're saying, I just don't think Lively is a real comparison from the games I've watched.

[@markwillis614]

Sarr has a higher floor and ceiling for me. Sarr's versatile defense with his size will 100% translate. Risacher doesn't have anything I can confidently say will definitely translate (shooting would probably be closest). I still have him as a top 5 guy, but I don't see why people have him higher than Holland. Risacher is slightly taller and a better shooter, but just about everything else is in Holland's favor including a creation bag that is light-years ahead of Risacher (something many people tend to look for from a perimeter player this high in the draft). I'd take Sarr if I'm Atlanta, but Holland is the second guy I'd be happy with us drafting if we feel good about his shooting improving (and I think he's better than his percentages show already).

[@ebinterior8974]

@@markwillis614 I see no proof that Sarr can guard someone of his same size; off ball he's okay or if the player is shorter but against similarly sized opponents--I'm not convinced.. Damian Lillard had over 3000 minutes of collegiate play before coming to the pros--when he came to the show he knew how to play basketball. Like Henderson, Sarr, Mattas, Holland, will have to learn how to play NBA basketball as well as improve on individual skills. I object to paying for cable to watch what 's going to be terrible basketball, essentially paying for players' internship. You can still have a poor record but play good basketball.

[@christopheb.6121]

You want a 18 years old kid to organize his team defense buit with grown pro players? Come on... Even Victor didn't make that in France.

[@GameTheoryPodcastwSamVecenie]

No, that's not what we said. But he does need to be aware of what's going on and communicate with his teammates. That didn't happen in this game, and we made multiple comments throughout that we've felt by and large his team defense this year has actually been pretty okay.

[@pheralanpathfinder4897]

Because Sarr could be a unicorn he will go #1. But Risacher could easily be the best player from this draft class. One of the super athletic guys might learn to make three point shots and ultimately be the best player, but which one? Long athletic 3 point shooters are always in demand.