Pistons draft: The stretch four of the future for Detroit?

The Detroit Pistons' season has been over for quite some time now. Granted there are still some of us watching to see development and habits being formed, but most eyes have transitioned to the next stages, free agency and the NBA Draft.

We touched on Detroit’s top options from the college basketball landscape, the international pool, and last week, we did a deeper dive into Alex Sarr, another potential number one overall option for Detroit. This week, we will dive into the other player who could push Sarr for the number one spot, Zaccharie Risacher.

Let’s take a look at potential number one overall draft pick Zaccharie Risacher’s strengths, weaknesses, and most importantly, his fit with the Pistons. 

Detroit Pistons: Draft profile of Zaccharie Risacher

Zaccharie Risacher, 6’9 SF, 18

Somewhat of a late riser in the NBA draft prospects, 18 year old Zaccharie Risacher has seen his stock rise tremendously this past year. It may be because of the notoriety that Victor Wembanyama brought to the LNB Pro A league last season, the league that Risacher is currently playing in. But, unlike Wemby before him, Risacher didn’t come into the season with such high expectations. He has slowly gained momentum as one of the safest, but most talented picks in the upcoming 2024 draft. 

BleacherReport has Risacher’s pro comp. as Michael Porter Jr. Meaning a good sized wing that has great defensive abilities and excels from deep. Risacher excels from deep to the tune of almost 45 percent from three point range on open looks. It’s this range that gives Zaccharie the title as one of the best shooters in all of Europe. And for as good as his shooting is, his on/off ball movement isn’t far behind. Risacher can slash or move in transition without the ball, or can attack closeouts and put the ball on the deck, making him a great chess piece for any organization.

Risacher’s Fit in Detroit

What Risacher lacks in size compared to last week’s breakdown candidate Alex Sarr, standing four inches shorter and only 6-foot-9, he makes up for it in offensive ability. Where Sarr has potential to develop a consistent three point shot, Zaccharie already has that tool. During his three professional seasons, Risacher is connecting on his three point shot at a great 42 percent clip, which Detroit could really use. Notice I wrote only in italics because while he may not have the unicorn size that Wemby or Sarr has, 6-fot-9 still fits extremely well at the four position for Detroit. It wouldn’t quite allow for the Pistons to run a positionless 4/5 utilizing a stretch four or five, but it still provides Detroit with a strong forward position option, running at the three or four. 

As was mentioned with Sarr’s breakdown, Detroit needs defense terribly. While Risacher may not have a physically imposing presence on the defensive end, Zaccharie does have the length and athletic ability to switch from wings on the outside, or with guards up top. For Detroit, suddenly he gives them another 3-and-D weapon that can both attack and defend positions 1-4.

Zaccharie has things he has to work on, however. One thing in particular is his consistency. During the FIBA U19 Finals against Spain, he finished with zero points and five turnovers on one of the brightest stages in his young career. Additionally, he has a tendency to dribble too much, sometimes directly into traffic and resulting in bad possessions. Specifically, his on-ball abilities are not up to NBA-skill level. Detroit might not need that from him at the moment, however.

For what it’s worth, at this time Zaccharie Risacher is my vote for wherever Detroit lands in the draft lottery. A lineup of Cade/Ivey/Fontecchio/Risacher/Duren has fantastic spacing, scoring and defensive potential.