Atlanta Hawks’ Introductory Press Conference For Zaccharie Risacher and Nikola Djurišić

Atlanta Hawks’ Introductory Press Conference For Zaccharie Risacher and Nikola Djurišić

this is a Monumental day for these two young men and a thank you to the entire Hawk staff you know our Scouts all of our people behind the scenes that work tirelessly to get ready for the draft and then execute the draft and I just want to give a special shout out before we get going because there’s a ton of hard work that goes into this and when you come up with a couple of guys like this out of this draft wow are we fortunate and I can’t wait for you to meet them all my name is Bob aan I’m the television voice of the Atlanta Hall box and we welcome you to the emry healthcare courts here in Brook Haven we’re delighted to have you with us and especially the friends and family of our players it’s wonderful welcome to Atlanta it is a great day all the way around here at the uh at the table we have our general manager Landry fields and flanked by our two newest Hawks the number one overall pck Zachary rash is here and then down to the far end of the table a gentleman who just joined the Hawks yesterday we acquired his draft rights from Miami in the second round Nicola jurich is here and so and he really is just got off the plane a couple of hours ago so we are thrilled to have these guys with us we’ll start with opening statements and I’ll begin with Landon yeah thank you Bob and uh thank you everyone that’s here today uh as you mentioned this is this is quite an exciting time I was actually talking with these guys backstage I’m M if you ever seen or been a part of a press conference this large and they both said no so I was like it’s okay just breathe get some oxygen to your your brains you’ll be just fine just punt to me if you get confused on anything but uh I know they’ll do well and uh I think that the energy that I had been uh describing early on this process is still palpable today I think it’s very rare when you identify players in a specific draft that you can actually go and get guys that you identify as our guys that have Hawk DNA and are committed to to Excellence and committed to their own development here and that’s something that’s crucial for us at the end of the day so uh when we identified these guys you know we knew we had to have them and that’s what we did went to go get them so uh couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome them here to Atlanta them their families their agencies and uh continue to grow together as we continue to build out here things uh for the Hawks so with that I will open it up to any questions you all may have we had a couple for the guys if you don’t mind lry before we get going uh number one uh now that it’s over when did you know that Zach was your guy so it was been a it’s been a long long process uh you know it started off with us getting the number one overall pick um which you know it’s part of the reason why you win the lottery that’s what it was and we went through this entire process and I I credit our group for the amount of work and effort and miles in to see both of these guys frankly uh to to identify who they are and what they’re about so I mean it really kind it came came down to like the last few days and uh us getting together as a group and you know we narrowed it down to to two and at the end of the day like Zach was the guy that we wanted to build with so uh that’s wi just it was was really close to the draft and for you Zachary tell us when you knew you were going to be the number one pick in the NBA draft coming to Atlanta so uh I really knew like as soon as I heard my name uh I didn’t know before and uh so that was that was special you know and uh yeah I’m really exciting to you know be be Ro right now and uh I’m just glad to finally get into the City and uh the fa cities and everything that’s amazing and I’m really happy to be here and Nico tell us about your experience uh it was kind of a worldwind for you too oh it went great to be honest uh it was a tough period like month you know I was like flying from state to state you know like I was like super tired but I got to Atlanta like I got the Boost of like energy you know so I did the work out super good I think that’s why they brought me here so yeah like I don’t feel like like a f it feel like a family here you know like the facility the people here the coaches front offices like everyone like he super good so think he’s going to be great now Nico if you would just lift your glasses up I don’t know if you guys can see this but he got a little bit of a that was not Antonio Lang that gave you that elbow was it no it wasn’t okay I just want to make that did not happen here you should have seen the other guy but I love it uh this all happened very rapidly Landry take us through the steps of of getting Nico and and getting into the second round right um you know through through this process in acquiring Nico you know we had to we had to move um away from a a really tremendous player for us and tremendous human being in AJ Griffin and just want to take a moment to to thank him uh for the time that he has spent here and the amount of work that he’s put in uh over time and you know it came down to us like trying to figure out what was the best uh decision for our franchise and going into the last day we didn’t have the second round pick and we knew it would cost us something if we wanted to get a guy that we identified um would really be good for us long term so called a number of teams uh to try to get a pick uh ultimately landed with Houston but you know it was going to it was going to cost us a really good player in AJ um but at the end of the day that’s what we decided felt was best for us so went to go get one of our guys in the draft so that’s how it came about fantastic Zach has been a whirlwind for you um so much has happened have you had a chance to like sit back and reflect on everything have you had a moment to yourself to kind of consider everything so yeah it’s been like a long process and uh I really like you know uh my like the first time that I sit him back and just saw what happened was really the uh when I saw my family uh maybe 1 hour 30 after uh I was getting drafted after all the media stuff I went back and see my family and that’s that was the moment where I you know realized what was happening and uh I just you know so uh started crying to my family’s arms you know and uh that was a moment that I will never forget a culmination of a ton of hard work for both of you Nico uh for the Atlanta media and the fans watching online describe your game what can we expect from you uh I would say I’m a three- level scorer uh very versatile in offense in defense can guard one through four I’m a pass first first guy I play for the team I would say like great leader you know and I would do like anything to win and being from Serbia there’s another guy on our team who you who you may very well know oh boogy boy I don’t know him personally but I watched him play when I was young you when he was in partisan fed you know so yeah I grew up with him on the TV yeah he’s a lot older than you prob just all right we’ll open it up to the media we have microphones so Andrew Claire where’s Claire there’s Claire um if you will please for the benefit of those watching and listening online if you could identify yourself in your affiliation and ask away hey Landry uh Lauren Williams Atlanta Journal Constitution with the number one pick you know players have that external pressure or expectations that fans and media and whoever might have how did you identify early in the process that Zachary would be able to kind of withstand that expectation I think with any pressure whether it’s playing sports or whatever field that you may be in uh career-wise um the way to kind of curb that pressure is how much work you put in and your commitment to the routines that you have that you can always fall back on and it’s not just with Zach but with Eco as well like we we understand that yeah with number one everyone’s going to say a number of different things but the way to withstand that and to push through is one like identify you have what it takes to be that overall pick and two do you have the work and the commitment to getting better where you can just continue to push through grit is is something we talk a lot about Quinn talks a lot about perseverance and that’s no different um so we’re going to support him and Nico and all of our players uh as best we can and really set them up for success but we know like it’s going to be a journey and we’re willing to take that together Zachary for you how do you hope to manage the expectations that people might have of you being the number one pick um I feel like there is no pressure uh I just um right is my dream and U I need like I just focus on the the good stuff you know on the right stuff which is playing here um and uh so like I’m just exciting to be o right now and I want to compete and win games so that’s all that you know that’s all it matters right now for me sorry question in French for the French media I’m from Z [Music] imag [Music] Caleb Johnson 929 the game Landry uh obviously part of the trade to get Nico not only just getting the pick but then going one spot up uh what went into the the urgency of feeling you need to make that transaction to go one spot up starts with when you identify guys that you really want you know I I I always challenge our group like let’s be aggressive to go get them you know there were a few teams that we had identify that may have interest um we wanted to assure ourselves of getting our guy um it wasn’t just teams ahead but it was teams behind there was a lot of movement happening this year in the second round um so I think just to in order to solidify it you know it’s it was an opportunity that we had and this is one of those opportunities where you know our worship group has always been fantastic saying here the resources to go get the guys that are going to help us win in Atlanta so you know was able to do that in that moment in time Nicole Cory naap hawks.com back here just the moment yesterday for you after you got picked you went through all the what was the moment like when you got to talk to your family and friends back home and tell them what had happened and what what that you were coming to Atlanta talk actually right after I got picked because of the six hour difference they were still sleeping you know so I got I waited like till 2: a.m. so I could talk so yeah they were excited you know my friends and family my girlfriend they were like real excited so yeah aell Thomas the every time my question is for both Zack and Nicole I want to know how do you guys feel like your play internationally has help prepare you for your rookie seasons in the NBA um so um it’s I think it’s a amazing you know be able to uh you know develop develop himself into International games and uh turning to a pro at such a young age I think it’s kind of advantage for us that that was like especially that was for me I think uh but yeah I’m really proud of the the the process that I’ve been through and uh and really proud also to represent the international side in gnba you know and uh that’s it um just [Music] [Music] [Music] Dev [Music] for for [Music] just [Music] [Music] [Music] Zach I took two years of French in high school um but that was a few semesters ago maybe in training camp you and I can get together a little bit serbi and I got from bogy and eigor so we’re good but I do need a little brushing up on my friend so can you can help me all next question thank hey uh this is jamaa Johnson from ATL Hawks fans uh this question welcome to Atlanta you guys this question is for both of you just wondering if you’ve heard from any of your new teammates yet I know it’s only been a couple days and also how familiar are you I know Nico you said you’ve watched bogey growing up but how familiar are you with your teammates like game and how they play I mean I didn’t watch like the NBA too much cuz time difference you know you guys was would play like games at 2: a.m. in Serbian time so I couldn’t watch like I know the team I know the players most of them uh I know like Trey young obviously you know I work bogy CL capella and all of those guys so haven’t heard from them I hope I will soon I just heard from bogy he he PO on his story welcome to Atlanta so that’s nice and um for me like uh kind of the same we from the the same continent so it’s kind of hard to follow games because it’s at night for us but but yeah just you know really exciting to to join the team and um and that I think uh I can be good with uh all of these guys and uh I can’t wait to to meet them you know Ken uh Zach my name is Ken sigir I’m a writer with the ATL Journal Constitution um I apologize in advance I think some of the questions the questions I want to ask you may have been asked by our French colleagues so excuse um but uh can you tell us about maybe your your first dreams of playing in the NBA and then also now that you are almost here kind of your thoughts about what you think it might be like um this is crazy uh how how I feel since uh today like since the draft but yeah like you say that’s basically a dream come true and uh all the that’s you know all the work that I put in my entire life finally pays off you know and uh that just um motivate me and uh to do more you know and uh I think that’s this is great how things work because you get like you get uh so I real I realized my dream two days ago and now I have other dreams and uh I want to obviously do more and uh and yeah other you know other goals and I can wait to get into work so I can uh realize and so I can realize the dream and that’s I think the most important Kevin Shard hawks.com this is a question for both Zachary and niola um growing up as a kid did you have a favorite NBA player that you like to watch so um I love a lot of players uh growing up but if I had to choose someone would be Kevin [Music] dur I mean I would say one player but I wasn’t born yet so I watched his highlights Michael Jordan so to time these different times Nicole I wanted to follow up on the question and see how how do you feel like your game in Serbia has prepared you for the NBA game I mean definitely the experience you know playing against girl men uh you learn a lot of stuff from those guys you know especially in my in mega this year I had like a coach he was a super coach I had like an ex player noich you know he was like a legend back in so I learned a lot from him so yeah like overall the experience you know playing against like the grown grown man and for multiple years so your body adapts better I think so that’s like the main thing this is for Landry Charles odm with the Associated Press um can I ask you to look ahead now uh uh now that your post draft um does yesterday’s trade um can that in any way be uh seen as an indicator of your possible willingness to to move other veteran players as you know there may be some rumors out there yeah well been consistent in saying we’re always going to look for ways to improve the team uh I think for today though like the real focus is on these guys and what we did at the draft this is for uh Landry back here from Brad Roland from dime um obviously you drafted a couple of wings perimeter guys um there’s lots of talk around the league about the premium placed on Wing players and versatility how do you sort of view your mindset in you know targeting these two players how that fits into the overall emphasis on those win players yeah I mean regardless of position I mean these guys compete and um what we amongst many things like their IQ for the game uh I think playing with this team and playing under Head Coach Quin Snyder it’s going to take a level of IQ uh to pick up things that we want to do the creativity that he has he and the coaching staff they do a tremendous job with our guys so in order to best serve them and set us up for Success you we have to have players that going to be able to um to kind of follow along and be able to see Reed respond and um whether that comes from point guards or wings or Bigs like it’s always going to be the case and for these guys just playing at that Wing position with the athleticism scores that they have and the size that they have and just different components about their games that vers you know that gives us a really nice canvas for for our group and allows our coaches uh something really fun to work with Landry um you touched on a little bit before but the can you go back to just maybe whatever it was in a conversation with the staff that that finally put Zach over the top that made him your clear number one yeah I mean I I’ve touched on a lot of things before um things to add to that right or he’s got he’s got great size uh shooting is at a premium in the NBA and a guy of his size and uh that caliber of player to have that as well is is tremendous and I think for him and for both these guys their commitment on both sides of the ball as well and how we see their upside defensively is another component to this too that for us you know like again amongst who they are are as human beings um is what set what set it over the edge for us yes me and who oh yeah yeah came down came down to two down to two that last day is that for [Music] [Music] compe [Music] [Music] [Music] POS one last question landre if I could ask how do you believe that both Zachary and Nia uh represent the culture of this team and what you guys are hoping to build of the culture moving forward well when uh when we start off even before this draft we identify key elements and we have our assessments and we have a number of different criteria that we look into for each player uh that we bring into Atlanta so um as I said before I think our group did a tremendous job and we take all those assessments and we come to the table and we have our discussions and debates and ideas and uh that’s that’s how we do things so um leaning more into that and watching that evolve over time the more we learn about this game the more we learn as a staff um you know that process will get more and more and more refined uh going into next next draft period so I would hope that even as we get closer just the character of our group I think our process will continuously get better awesome gentlemen thank you and to Nico and to Zach welcome to Atlanta we’re thrilled to have you as a hawk this is awesome we want to make it official we’re going to break into one-on ones in a moment but as always we want to present these new Hawks with their jerseys and so guys we’re going to do it in front we’re going to slide this table back give you a little bit more room and uh garen’s going to hand them out and we’ll take some pictures so this is always a big moment getting their official first jerseys as a hawk and in the NBA

Hawks’ GM Landry Fields with Zaccharie Risacher (number 1 draft pick) and Nikola Djurišić (number 43 draft pick)