Zaccharie Risacher has been everything the Mavericks needed and more

Zaccharie Risacher has 15 combined steals and blocks so far this season for the Dallas Mavericks. This ranks first among all bench players, and by a decent margin, too. Over the first five games, Risacher has continued to carve out his role for this Mavericks team, but he's brought a lot more than just steals and blocks.

Zaccharie Risacher is making a major defensive impact for Dallas

Zacch has been all over the court on defense, which has been tremendously helpful in contributing to the fast-paced style the Mavs want to play, as seen in their last game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Late in the third quarter, Risacher found himself defending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and was able to steal the ball from him as he went for a drive, thanks to his physical hands. This led to a fast-break shot opportunity for Cooper Flagg, and although he missed, it was a great look that Risacher created.

Off the miss, however, the Thunder tried to push the ball ahead, where SGA was still at half court. Risacher then put on a great display of his effort and athletic ability as he ran from the opposite 3-point line to catch up to Gilgeous-Alexander, blocking him at the rim on what would've been an easy two points.

This is the exact type of defensive impact that can really propel the Mavericks' defense, and having that havoc coming off the bench really helps when guys like P.J. Washington or Flagg aren't on the court to make big defensive plays. Risacher spoke about his defensive impact on Wednesday night after Dallas' win over OKC.

"That's what I do, and I feel like that's just the mindset I have every time I step on the court," Risacher said. "Just wanting to be impactful, want to win the game. It's as simple as that."

Risacher is finding his rhythm on offense

Through the first few games, there were moments when Risacher did not look fully comfortable handling the ball on offense. In three of his first five games, he shot under 36 percent from the field on a good number of self-created shots. But again, against the Thunder, he had one of his most efficient games yet. He shot 5-for-6 from the field and 2-for-3 from three, which is a great stat line, but the way he got these looks looked so much more effortless as well.

All of his makes came off catch-and-shoots, putbacks, or teammates finding him on a cut. Zacch's offensive game flowed so much better off the shots his teammates were able to generate for him rather than him trying to create his own shot.

It's not like he shouldn't ever handle the ball anymore, as his athleticism and size can still make him a solid shot creator. But with the increase in playmaking we've seen from Flagg, along with great passing from Kyrie Irving and Walter Clayton Jr., Risacher's fit on offense can be extremely effective going forward.

Risacher's energy is unmatched

One thing you can't teach is effort, and Zaccharie Risacher brings his all night in and night out, which is something incredibly undervalued, especially across an 82-game season. Through five games, his teammates and coaching staff have been impressed with everything he's brought to the court, so much so that they exercised their fourth-year team option on his contract for next season.

"I think we're 15 to 20 points better with [Risacher] just doing the little things," Flagg said. "But when he goes out there and competes at the highest level and how he can, he makes us so much better. He's been huge for us so far, and we're gonna need him to keep getting better and keep playing with the same fire."

Dusty May also praised Risacher's energy and his ability to find value as a player wherever he can.

"It's been [Risacher's] motor and conditioning, the guy never gets tired," May said. "One of the assistant coaches, Coach Fodor, said he's a cyborg...And so as his intensity and his motor has improved, his defensive rebounding, the extra possessions he gives us, obviously the weak-side blocks, he's kind of reinventing himself. Where even though he's not shooting nearly as well as he always has, he's found a lot of value in other parts of the game."

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