Zaccharie Risacher's fresh start with Mavericks gives him a real shot to win MIP

Zaccharie Risacher has been the talk of the town during training camp ahead of his Dallas Mavericks preseason debut against the Houston Rockets tomorrow. There has been more buzz about Risacher than any other player, especially from the fan base, and he has a real chance to start in the backcourt alongside Kyrie Irving if he plays well during the preseason.

Many Mavericks fans have been pushing for him to start over Max Christie for some time now, and while the discourse about the starting lineup has been evident, the hype about Zacch is quietly realistic. Risacher has a real chance to win the Most Improved Player award, and when taking a closer look, this is far from impossible.

Zaccharie Risacher has some ground to make up

Risacher enters the 2026-27 season after a rough second season with the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field. On the surface, this seems like a decent season, but Risacher's role was stripped away from him during the playoffs.

He was a DNP-CD in three of the Hawks' six games against the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs, and Atlanta's trust in him had clearly deteriorated. Risacher hadn't lived up to the hype of being a No. 1 overall pick, and the Hawks prioritizing winning now didn't help his development. They didn't have time to wait around for him to grow into a high-level rotation player, but Dallas will give him the fresh start that he needs.

Dallas is a much better situation for Risacher

The Mavericks are not in a rush to contend, meaning that they can give Risacher as much playing time as they want without worrying about growing pains. He is poised to be an excellent fit on the wing with Cooper Flagg, and the pressure to be a star that was on his shoulders in Atlanta is now nonexistent.

The Mavericks already have their star duo, Coop and Kyrie, meaning that Risacher is in a position to play a complementary role and focus on what he's good at.

With Flagg and Irving commanding most of the defense's attention, Risacher can step up as the team's third scorer. He is a good shooter, cutter, and transition scorer, and these things combined should help him take a sizable jump in scoring and be in the conversation to win Most Improved Player — especially if he starts.

Zacch has also improved when attacking closeouts, and he will be even more lethal offensively if he can become a better scorer in isolation.

Going from 10 points per game to around 16-to-18 points per game seems like a reasonable jump if he gets ample playing time, and Mavericks fans should be excited about his potential. Going from someone who was benched during the NBA Playoffs last season to a high-level starter is the type of improvement that is impossible to ignore, and this would be a massive career turnaround that would be game-changing for Dallas' future.

How Risacher can realistically win Most Improved Player

Confidence will be key for him, and this change of scenery could do wonders for his game. The weight of being a first overall pick was always following him as a Hawk, and the alleviated pressure, a change of scenery, and two star players to play alongside are going to help him.

He has a chance to take major strides in his game during his third season, and he could find himself as the NBA's Most Improved Player if everything goes according to plan. This would mean that he cements himself as a starter, improves as a scorer, and provides a notable defensive impact. Risacher has the tools to do this, and if he does, he could end up as the MIP.

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