Zacharie Risacher selected as a substitute for the Rising Stars game
Before Tuesday, Jaylen Johnson was Atlanta Hawks‘ the lone representative for All-Star Weekend. But after the stomach injury suffered by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, the Hawks will have another representative as Zachary Risacher was chosen as a substitute for the Rising Stars event, according to ClutchPoint’s Brett Siegel.
While Zachary Rizacher will represent the Hawks in the Rising Stars competition, Jaylen Johnson will participate in two events during All-Star weekend. He will make his first All-Star debut in the main event on Sunday afternoon, as well as participate in the return of the Shooting Stars competition.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Rizacher finished second last season in Rookie of the Year voting behind only Stephon Castle. This year, however, Rizacher did not quite make the expected jump in the second year what can be expected from the first pick.
Risacher has dealt with some nagging injury issues this season, so that could play a role in his production. He has appeared in 41 of the Hawks’ 55 games so far, logging just over 24 minutes per game. He recently missed 11 straight games last month before returning to the lineup on Jan. 31.
Rizacher has played in five games since his return, with his best performance coming on February 7 in a loss to the Charlotte Hornets. In just over 26 minutes, he finished with 18 points, three rebounds and three blocks.
He averaged 10.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 45.1 percent shooting from the field, 35.2 percent from the 3-point line and 62.5 percent from the free throw line. Rizacher has also seen his name in trade rumors regarding the Hawks’ reported interest in Anthony Davis.
2026-02-10 21:54:00
