Zaccharie Risacher is becoming the Mavericks' unexpected defensive weapon

When the Dallas Mavericks traded for Zaccharie Risacher over the summer, many Mavs fans were hopeful that the former No. 1 overall pick would turn into the third option alongside Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg.

They believed his untapped potential from his time with the Atlanta Hawks, combined with a fresh start after an underwhelming second season, could lead to a breakout year, but no one expected his impact to look like it has through three games for Dallas.

Zaccharie Risacher has been a revelation for Dallas defensively

Zacch has gone from someone projected to be a floor spacer and complementary scoring option to a game wrecker on the defensive end. This was far from what was expected after he averaged just 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per game in his final season in Atlanta, and the best part of his game as a Maverick has easily been his defense.

Risacher's defensive numbers put him in elite company

The French forward is averaging 2.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game, and his defensive impact has been easy to see. His 12 stocks (steals and blocks combined) through three games is tied for fourth in the league, with Kris Dunn, Victor Wembanyama, and Dyson Daniels as the players ahead of him (all three players have 14 stocks, two more than Risacher).

For reference on how impressive this is, Dunn has averaged 1.5 steals per game over his 11-year career, Wemby is on track to be one of the best defensive players of all time and has won Defensive Player of the Year, and Daniels has made two All-Defensive Teams. All three of these players have stacked defensive resumes, with Daniels and Wembanyama being two of the most feared defenders in the world, and Risacher's numbers are right there with them this season.

Risacher has been excellent as an off-ball defender

In Dallas' last game against the San Antonio Spurs, Zacch blocked 7-foot-4 Wembanyama's dunk attempt at the rim. Blocking an attempted dunk is hard enough, let alone one by one of the NBA's tallest and most dominant players.

His biggest impact on the defensive end so far this season has been from the help side, as he has great instincts for when he needs to rotate over to block a shot at the rim or deflect a pass in the passing lanes. He has been a menace off the ball, and Dusty May has done an excellent job of playing him to his strengths.

Risacher's energy is game-changing

The energy that he provides has been invaluable, and the Mavs have been a much better team with him on the court compared to off. Dallas is 22.5 points per 100 possessions better with Risacher on the court than they are when he's on the bench, and while this is an extremely limited sample size, the eye test will tell you this as well.

His activity, due to his hustle, length, and energy, has helped lead to some transition opportunities, and effort is half the battle on defense. He has a genuine desire to defend, and his positional size, length, and athleticism on the wing have led to some great moments on that end for him. Risacher has also been a strong defensive rebounder, averaging a career-high 4.0 defensive rebounds per game.

While Risacher's offensive game still has some work to do, Mavs fans clearly have nothing to worry about with his defense.

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