With no obvious names claiming the No. 1 overall selection spot in the 2024 NBA Draft, everyone is seemingly in play.
Cody Williams. Zacharie Risacher. Matas Buzelis. Alexandre Sarr.
However, only one can be the first choice, and I’m starting to wonder if we’re all collectively overthinking it.
The last name on my list – Sarr – is the only guy who has remained in the top three all season long, meaning there’s a consensus out there that he simply can’t not give up like the rest of the guys listed.
Williams saw his name mentioned in the top three and all the way to the final lottery. Risacher has been mentioned as a candidate to become number one, just as he was as a teenager. It’s a similar story with Buzelis.
Sarr is the one guy we all have a certain level of confidence in to reach a certain level of expectation. At no point was he considered to be at the top of the draft, and for good reason.
At 7-foot-1, with great athleticism and floor-spacing abilities, he offers a skill set tailor-made for the NBA in 2024.
During his season in Australia, playing for the Perth Wildcats, Sarr’s stats per 36 minutes were mind-blowing.
19.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and 2.1 assists per game.
Granted, Per 36 numbers are especially loud when used on a guy who played 18.0 minutes per game. But it does give you some level of understanding of how productive Sarr was when he was on the field.
Add to that the fact that he started his season just a few months after turning 18, and you realize the potential he has.
That doesn’t mean he’ll reach the NBA as an immediate star, or anything like that. Chances are it will be a project, but at least it’s a project with huge benefits.
In a draft where every prospect seems to have big question marks hanging over them, there is nothing of note hanging over Sarr.
Want to complain about its 27.6% accuracy at distance? Sure, but how many men his size were reliable long-range shooters at that age? Is this even a legitimate point of criticism?
And from there, what else do you really want to point the finger at?
He rarely made mistakes. He made more than 70% of his free throws. He almost never turned the ball over. He competed hard.
Alright, so his defense – off the blocks – needs some work. He’s not even 19 yet. I’m sure defensive rotation patterns and reading angles aren’t things the rest of the class has mastered either.
Of course, Sarr is no Anthony Davis here. If he had been, we wouldn’t have talked about anyone other than him for the last nine months. As with everyone in this class, there are uncertainties.
But I would say that these uncertainties are small and almost insignificant, if we take into account the benefits and current production.
And, finally, the only bar Sarr has to clear here to become number one is his fellow future recruits. We can sit here and say he’s not Davis, or Karl-Anthony Towns, or Victor Wembanyama, but that doesn’t matter when it comes to simply being the best in his own class .
And this is certainly achievable, if not entirely probable.
Even though I’ve struggled with my Big Board this year (show me someone who hasn’t), Sarr is still in the lead. And if I’m honest with myself, even when I flirted with the idea of Risacher, Sarr never lost his mind.
The combination of his skills, athleticism, size and the fluidity with which he plays is overwhelming in my thought process.
That doesn’t mean he’ll fulfill his potential, or that those skills will all be maximized, but you can say that about every prospect in draft history. It’s always a risk.
I’m betting on the rise. Because if I have first choice overall, I can’t justify thinking in terms of security. I have to swing this bat as hard as I can and go for the player who ultimately can become the best in the class. And the player who has the best recipe for becoming one is and always has been Alexandre Sarr.
Unless otherwise stated, all statistics via NBA.com, PBPStats, Clean the glass Or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All chances thanks to FanDuel Sports Betting.
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