The NBA is within the midst of a French revolution. The Atlanta Hawks drafted Zaccharie Risacher with the No 1 decide within the NBA draft on Wednesday night time, making him the second consecutive French participant to be drafted with the highest decide.
Risacher doesn’t include the large peak or hype of Victor Wembanyama, the towering heart who San Antonio chosen No 1 total final 12 months and went on to win the Rookie of the 12 months award. However the Hawks noticed Risacher as the only option in what has been considered as a draft absent of elite expertise.
The 19-year-old ahead was the winner of the perfect younger participant award within the French League final season and beat out massive males Alex Sarr, a fellow Frenchman, and UConn’s Donovan Clingan within the race to be the highest decide.
When he did, it made NBA draft historical past. That is the primary time that the draft has gone consecutive years with out the No 1 decide being somebody who performed at an American school.
The 19-year-old Risacher impressed the Hawks as a catch-and-shoot scorer with preferrred dimension for a wing participant. Risacher – at 6ft 9inch and 215 kilos – can be anticipated to affix guards Trae Younger and Dejounte Murray and ahead Jalen Johnson as basis gamers for a group which has not gained a playoff collection since advancing to the 2021 Jap Convention finals.
In a 12 months there was no consensus alternative as the highest participant within the draft, the Hawks might have traded down for extra picks. The No 1 decide was their solely choice within the draft. As an alternative, common supervisor Landry Fields didn’t move up the uncommon alternative to make the most of the highest decide.
C’est la France frère 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷
— Wemby (@wemby) June 27, 2024
The Washington Wizards grabbed Alex Sarr with the second total decide, utilizing their highest choice in 14 years so as to add some much-needed dimension to a group that gained solely 15 video games final season.
Sarr performed final season for the Perth Wildcats in Australia. He additionally spent two years within the US with Extra time Elite, a developmental league.
The Wizards are a 12 months faraway from a entrance workplace overhaul and an offseason during which they traded Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis. Their struggles final season – they set a franchise file for losses – have been pretty predictable, and it’s not clear how a lot anybody on this draft can speed up their rebuild.
Washington hasn’t superior previous the second spherical of the playoffs since 1979, and that is solely the third time since then the franchise has picked within the high two of the draft. The Wizards used an ill-fated No 1 total decide on Kwame Brown in 2001. In 2010, they used the highest decide on John Wall, ushering in an period of gentle success that ultimately ran its course.
After Sarr, the Frenchmen stored coming. The Charlotte Hornets chosen French energy ahead Tidjane Salaun with the sixth total decide. It marked the primary time a rustic outdoors the US had three gamers chosen within the high 10 of the NBA draft.
Elsewhere, Houston made Kentucky freshman Reed Sheppard the No 3 decide. Stephon Fortress of the two-time reigning nationwide champion Huskies made it two straight school freshmen when San Antonio took him at No 4.
However the night time belonged to French basketball. A one-and-done school participant had topped the draft for 13 straight years from 2010-22 earlier than Wembanyama ended that streak. Now, it’s France’s time on the high.
