No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher drains first shot in Hawks debut - ESPN

ATLANTA — For Zaccharie Risacher, it was the perfect start to an NBA career of such promise.

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 faces 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 was all smiles after the Hawks held on against the Brooklyn Nets for a 120-116 victory in the season opener Wednesday.

«It was amazing,» Risacher said. «That's 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. That's going to be fun. Just try to keep winning, you know.»

The slender, 19-year-old forward made his debut with 3:43 left in the first quarter, drawing a big cheer from the sellout crowd at State Farm Arena. While the Hawks are in a bit of a rebuilding mode, they're counting on Risacher to help take the franchise to heights it has rarely experienced in Atlanta.

«It was definitely a special moment,» he said. «I'm super happy to be here, and I can feel around me the joy and good vibes. I'm super grateful to be a part of this organization, this city.»

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

«That was like the perfect situation,» he said. «I was open on the transition pass, and yeah, it was amazing. The perfect, perfect way to get my first bucket.»

From there, it was far from perfection.

Of his six misses, three were from beyond the arc. He turned the ball over when his foot nicked the sideline as he attempted to launch another shot from long range. His only other basket