The 2024-2025 NBA Season is still two months away, but with the offseason effectively at a standstill, it is now time to look ahead to the upcoming campaign and think about how each team stacks up in its conference, who are the frontrunners for the MVP, and who could win the Rookie of the Year. This year’s race for Rookie of the Year is going to be interesting because this draft class has been criticized repeatedly for not having an elite-level player and instant impact guy. I think that has been overblown a little bit, but it was clear in today’s ESPN NBA Panel that there are going to be several players in contention for the award.
In fact, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft was basically an afterthought when picking Rookie of the Year. When the panel was voting on who to win Rookie of the Year, Risacher finished tied for 6th with No. 2 pick Alex Sarr. Rockets guard Reed Sheppeard ran away with the votes, getting 62% of the first place votes. Grizzlies center Zach Edey came in 2nd and he was followed by Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle and Rob Dillingham.
While Risacher has flaws in his game, I think it is a little disrespectful to not give him much consideration for the award, which is what this voting shows. He is not going to be asked to do too much and will have a chance to play with one of the NBA’s top playmakers in Trae Young. Young is going to be able to give Risacher great looks on offense and Risacher is seen as a good shooter. He showed his rebounding ability and defensive skills in NBA Summer League and I think that is where he is being discounted. If Risacher steps into a starting role sooner rather than later (something that is very possible), he could have a chance to improve the Hawks’s defensive numbers right away. For a guy who displayed a great overall feel for the game and did not turn the ball over in Summer League, Risacher does not get talked about as highly as other players in this class, which is unusual for a No. 1 pick. It seems like his flaws are talked about more often than what he brings to the table.
I am not saying that Risacher should be the pick to win it, but for a guy that was picked No. 1 overall, barely getting any votes does not make much sense. Risacher is in a favorable situation to step in and help the Hawks in several areas while not being asked to carry the team. Risacher is one of the most overlooked No. 1 picks in recent memory and will have a chance to prove a lot of people wrong this season and show why the Hawks took him with the top.
