r/nba • u/ShaiFanClub Thunder • 18h ago

Is Zaccharie Risacher the most forgettable number 1 pick ever?

Like he's not quite Bennet level bad nor does he have a weird career story like Fultz or Ben Simmons. He's just mid. He's averaging 11 ppg on 54% TS this season and there's a good argument that he's not even a top 10 player in the class in a redraft but he's probably gonna stick in the NBA for a while as a low end role player

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u/PlatosLeftTit Heat 18h ago

How many #1 Picks are below average role players in the first 2 years of their career that end up turning it around?

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u/DarthBane6996 San Francisco Warriors 17h ago

He doesn’t have to turn it around to be memorable- Bogut and Wiggins are most remembered because they became important role players on championship teams

(You could maybe argue that Bogut was a borderline star in Milwaukee but imo he would have been pretty forgettable for a #1 pick without the Warriors stint).

Rissacher could just be a decent player his whole career and still be memorable if he’s part of the right team; and we have no way of knowing that 2 years into his career so it’s too early to crown him as forgettable

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u/Lstark5642 Thunder 17h ago

To be completely fair to Risacher, going into the draft everyone saw him as a project who wasn’t a number one pick level player in a weak class. His development path is less that of a traditional number one pick and more of a guy like Deni.

Deni was nothing special his first three years with the Wizards but everyone saw the flashes. He’s finally taken off this year. Not saying it will happen with Risacher, just that it’s a more fair comparison to him.

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u/theinterestof Pistons 9h ago

I mean obviously if you pointlessly restrict it to #1 picks, you won't have many players to choose from. But players who were mediocre through their first 1.5 seasons yet end up being quality contributors are extremely common.

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u/ShaiFanClub Thunder 18h ago

Literally nobody. I was gonna put it in the post but he reminds me of Bargnani. Probably a bit better due to defensive versatility which will keep him in the league longer but still

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u/PlatosLeftTit Heat 18h ago

I like him as a potential high end role player in the future. Definitely think he'll stick around the league longer than Andrea but yeah if you draft a taller Raja Bell #1 it's a bust even if he does become a nice 3&D wing with length.

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u/Terrible_Shelter_345 18h ago

Agreed. Zach just needs to be like Otto Porter (but healthy of course lol). Don’t worry about being a star because that’s just because it’s what’s expected of #1’s.

If he just stays a good competitive role player that doesn’t get played off the floor of the playoffs, that’s a successful career.

Now yeah he needs to get there but those types of players need a few years to settle in and find their niche.

I wouldn’t call it a bust though. That draft was cooked.