Zaccharie Risacher's flashes aren't enough to hand him a Mavericks starting role

Zaccharie Risacher had a very up-and-down preseason for the Dallas Mavericks, as he looked good in spurts, but ultimately wasn't very productive from a holistic standpoint. As much potential as Risacher has, head coach Dusty May would be making the wrong move if he started the 21-year-old once Dallas kicks off regular-season action against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Risacher undoubtedly has some pop as a cutter as well as someone who can attack off the dribble against weaker defenders, but his outside shooting is fairly average, and he's not the best defender in the world. He can guard taller wings, but doesn't have the strength to guard bigger-bodied wings, and isn't so quick that he can stay with dynamic smaller guards.

Risacher needs to improve on both ends before being a starter

The Mavericks made the right move to trade for Risacher, as they only had to give up Ryan Nembhard and a second-round pick, but there's no doubt he still has plenty of growing pains to resolve before he becomes a full-fledged starter in Dallas. Even though May started him throughout preseason, May should reverse course on that thought process once the regular season starts, unless he's seeing something we aren't.

While Risacher probably has more potential as a finisher and handler compared to someone like Max Christie, the Mavericks would be smart to start Christie over Risacher at this juncture. Dallas is loaded on the wing, and while Risacher's natural position is probably small forward, Cooper Flagg and P.J. Washington are almost guaranteed to start, so his best chance at earning minutes on this Mavericks roster is by playing the two.

Risacher is still undoubtedly a part of Dallas' young core

Christie shot over 40 percent from outside last season and is far better equipped to guard at the point of attack compared to Risacher, so it's hard to argue he isn't the more reliable option. Also, plenty of Risacher's best offensive moments throughout preseason came when the game was already out of hand for the Mavericks, so he's going to need to prove he can replicate some of that production when his team is actually in competitive contests.

The Mavericks are in an interesting position from the standpoint that they are trying to cultivate a young core around Flagg, but also still have 34-year-old Kyrie Irving on the roster, and don't fully control their first-round picks over the next few years. Developing Risacher to unleash some of his untapped potential must be a priority, and there's no doubt he's talented enough to be in Dallas' rotation.

However, he simply hasn't proven to be as effective on both sides of the ball as Christie, and Christie is also an integral part of Dallas' young core after coming over from the Luka Doncic trade. There's certainly a world in which Christie and Risacher could start together in the future, but until Dallas' roster construction changes or Risacher becomes a more dynamic player, the Mavericks' best path to winning games is going to be starting Christie at shooting guard.

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