Number 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher sinks the first shot in the Hawks debut

ATLANTA – For Zaccharie Risacher, it was the perfect start to such a promising NBA career.

A wide open look from outside the 3-point stripe.

Nothing but net.

But the French teenager quickly learned what a steep learning curve he faced in his rookie season with the Atlanta Hawks.

Risacher, the league's No. 1 draft pick, missed his next six shots and finished the night with seven points on 2 of 8 shooting.

Still, he beamed after the Hawks cruised to a 120-116 win in Wednesday's season opener against the Brooklyn Nets.

“It was incredible,” Risacher said. “This is a dream come true. I really enjoyed it. I’m glad we won – and on to the next one. I can't wait to play another game in two days. This will be fun. Just try to hang in there.” Win, you know.

The slender, 19-year-old forward made his debut with 3:43 left in the first quarter, drawing huge cheers from the sellout crowd at State Farm Arena. While the Hawks are in somewhat of a rebuilding mode, they are counting on Risacher to help take the franchise to heights rarely seen in Atlanta.

“It was definitely a special moment,” he said. “I am super happy to be here and I feel the joy and good vibes around me. I’m super grateful to be a part of this organization, this city.”

The cheers grew even louder when Risacher hit a 3 with the first shot of his career.

“It was like the perfect situation,” he said. “I was open on the transition pass and yeah, it was incredible. The perfect, perfect way to get my first basket.”

From then on it was anything but perfect.

Of his six missed shots, three came from outside the arc. He turned the ball over as his foot touched the sideline as he attempted to fire another shot from long range. His only other basket came with just under 10 minutes left in the game – a thunderous dunk off a bounce pass from Hawks star guard Trae Young.

“I wasn't as efficient as I'm used to, so that was a little disappointing for me,” Risacher said. “But it’s part of the game.”

He knows it will take a while for him to feel fully comfortable at such a higher level than he was used to in France.

“I’m only 19, so this is a big change for me,” Risacher said. “I’m getting better and better.”

The numbers may not have been particularly impressive, but Hawks coach Quin Snyder was pleased with what he got out of his prized rookie in 19 minutes of playing time.

“I thought he did a really good job,” Snyder said. “The emphasis is on not making shots every night. How do you impact the game in other ways, whether it’s a pass or a tackle on defense?”

Even though the shots didn't fall, Snyder was glad Risacher had the confidence to keep shooting.

“You don’t stop shooting,” the coach said, “because he’s a really good shooter.”