Risacher did not play the other night. Does he have a future with the Atlanta Hawks?
There are five words that any NBA player dreads more than possibly any others: Did Not Play: Coach's Decision.
What could be worse than losing the coach's confidence? If you're healthy, suited up, and watch the whole game from the sidelines anyway, it's got to be discouraging.
If you're a recent number one overall pick, it's particularly devastating.
As an Atlanta Hawks fan, you know where this is coming from. In Atlanta's last contest with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Risacher did not get on the floor.
What does it mean moving forward?
Hawks' Risacher continues to disappoint
We might as well talk about Risacher's season-wide stats. Even if he does suit up in one or both of Atlanta's remaining two games, it won't change much.
Risacher is averaging 9.6 points per game. His 37.3% shooting from deep was the most encouraging aspect of his season, but he was still ultimately inefficient. Risacher's putrid 63.6% shooting from the free-throw line contributed to his suboptimal 55.9 True Shooting % (TS%).
Defensively, Risacher was fine. He's a solid perimeter defender who can guard 2s, 3s, and smaller 4s. That's valuable, but he was still unexceptional on that end. It all amounted to a -2.4 Box Plus/Minus (BPM).
Is that someone the Hawks should bother keeping?
Hawks should shop Risacher this summer
Here's the bottom line: A 37% three-point shooter who can competently guard more than one position is a rotation player. If they offer no shot creation or playmaking, and you can't even trust them at the free-throw line, they are not guaranteed a starting position.
Moreover, the Hawks need to think about their specific roster makeup. Jalen Johnson is their most important player. They just acquired Jonathan Kuminga, who has a higher ceiling than Risacher. Depending on how the draft shakes out, the Hawks may need to make room for a guard in their rotation, which could mean giving Dyson Daniels more minutes at the 3.
Speaking of the draft: They could also simply draft a wing. If so, Risacher would certainly feel squeezed out. Basically, unless the Hawks draft a big, they should aggressively shop Risacher this summer.
At the moment, he still has some number one pick shine on him. He won't fetch a massive return, but some team could see him as a reclamation project. By contrast, if he's receiving more DNP - Coach's Decision designations in 2026-27, his value will only continue to plummet:
That's a worst-case scenario for both sides.