One year after Victor Wembanyama, two French people are in the running to be chosen first position in the 2024 NBA draft, which will take place on Wednesday at the Barclays Center in New York. This is the case of Alexandre Sarr, the 19-year-old giant with an atypical background, who has distinguished himself in recent months in Australia with the Perth Wildcats.
A French wave is sweeping over the NBA. At a dizzying height, unprecedented and incredibly exciting. One year after Victor Wembanyama, the number 1 in the NBA draft could once again be French. In the wake of the new San Antonio star, two other talents born in France can claim the “first pick” of this 2024 edition, which will take place on Wednesday at the Barclays Center in New York (the home of the Brooklyn Nets): Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr.
The two favorites of this vintage, announced as less strong than in previous years, are almost tied at the top of the ranking of the best prospects, according to the “consensus mock draft” published by the NBA (which aggregates the predictions of the main US media).
At 19 years old (since the end of April), Alexandre Sarr has just completed a remarkable season in Australia, playing for the Perth Wildcats. With his height of 2.16m and his 2.23m wingspan, the native of Bordeaux has established himself as one of the best defenders in the National Basketball League (NBL), a championship particularly followed in the United States ( which also houses New Zealand clubs). With its “Next Stars” program launched a few years ago, the NBL has become a privileged springboard to the NBA. The French Ousmane Dieng, Hugo Besson and Rayan Rupert used it in particular.
A machine to counter
In the southwest of Australia, facing the Indian Ocean, Alex Sarr has gained momentum in recent months within the most successful team in the championship. He played in 27 games this season, averaging 9 points, 4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 17 minutes of playing time. He is also one of the three best blockers in the NBL.
On January 27, the French giant even compiled 5 blocks and 18 points against the South East Melbourne Phoenix. Injured in the hip for almost a month, he returned to play in the playoffs, coming out with two attractive matches despite the rapid elimination of Perth.
Sometimes compared to Evan Mobley, the Cleveland Cavaliers player, Alexandre Sarr is an excellent rim protector. With his deterrent presence, his grinta, his timing and his ability to lay down blocks, he has the profile of a dominant defender. But as a position 4, he also likes to move out of the way and offer positions far from the basket in the offensive phase. His explosiveness and speed also allow him to do great damage in transition.
A lack of shooting reliability
On the other hand, it still lacks shooting reliability. An area in which he will have to work in the coming months to hope to score in the NBA. His changes of direction and his handling of the ball also remain subject to improvement, as does his way of attacking the circle and his impact in the duel. When it comes time to compete against the best players in the world, the future rookie must gain thickness and become physically stronger, particularly in the upper body.
Even if he does not announce himself as a franchise player, Alexandre Sarr can hope to have an interesting career in the United States. Some see him as a potential All Star. For now, the 19-year-old prospect is waiting to know in which franchise he will begin his NBA adventure. The draft lottery awarded the first choice to the Atlanta Hawks (for the first time), ahead of the Washington Wizards of Bilal Coulibaly, the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs of Victor Wembanyama. He will probably start with one of these teams. And so why not with Wemby in Texas, even if the chances are quite slim…
Special issue – Special NBA Draft 2024: Focus on Alexandre Sarr
Advice from his brother Olivier Sarr
When it comes time to cross the Atlantic, Alexandre Sarr, whose father Massar was a Senegalese professional basketball player, can rely on the advice of his big brother Olivier Sarr, who also makes his living from the orange ball. The 25-year-old pivot has moved back and forth this season between the NBA (under the colors of Oklahoma City) and the G-League (the NBA secondary championship). The two brothers are close and talk regularly despite the time difference. The opportunity to sometimes talk about the atypical journey of Alexandre, who traveled quite a bit before ending up in Oceania.
Born in 2005 in Gironde, he started playing basketball in the Toulouse region, being spotted very early. At the age of 14, he joined Real Madrid for two seasons, before having his first experience in the United States by joining the Overtime Elite, a league launched to compete with the NCAA (which manages major schools and American universities). Within this structure based in Atlanta, Alex Sarr was able to accelerate his development on the floor, while taking lessons and being paid.
Wembanyama: “He has great talent”
As Victor Wembanyama did with the Metropolitans of Boulogne-Levallois, the young globetrotter also participated last September in two exhibition matches against the G-League Ignite (a team bringing together NBA hopefuls, supported by some veterans). By astonishing everyone with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 blocks on average. Enough to increase his rating among NBA scouts, who have had him in their sights for a long time. Will his recent work in Australia, his notable progress and his strong potential allow him to succeed Wemby in the next draft?
His predecessor would in any case be delighted. “I was struck when I saw him for the first time, it was in 2020 (Sarr was 15 years old), I didn’t know him at all, explained Victor Wembanyama at the start of the year. never heard of him and he had crazy talent you could see that he wanted to improve and win, but at the time, you had the impression that he didn’t really know himself, that he didn’t know. how to play and how to use his body He has continued to improve over the years.
2024-06-23 07:03:27
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