Editor's note: With so much uncertainty surrounding the 2024 NBA draft class, ESPN draft analyst Jeremy Woo takes a closer look at the prospects who are in contention to be drafted No. 1 overall.
Joining the NBL's Perth Wildcats after two years developing with Overtime Elite in Atlanta, French-born big man Alex Sarr has come onto the NBA draft scene this season as one of the unique talents in this class. A fixture for France at youth levels who has made significant strides with his body and game over the past few years, Sarr has positioned himself to hear his name called early in June's draft.
We break down Sarr's game, look at his strengths and weaknesses, and provide a player comp for the 7-footer moving forward.
Alex Sarr | F/C | Age: 18.6 | Perth Wildcats
Sarr's strengths
The 18-year-old Sarr is one of the most physically gifted players in this draft class -- listed at 7-foot-1, 217 pounds and wielding a 7-4½ wingspan and 9-2½ standing reach -- favorable dimensions and a body type that can still add muscle. He couples that frame with impressive mobility for his size, as a fluid athlete who can move his feet, flashes explosiveness as a leaper, and covers ground effectively on the defensive end.
Sarr has the attributes teams dream of and the potential to be a high-level interior defender by NBA standards, able to play the 4 or 5 and offer rim protection, schematic versatility and some capability to switch on the perimeter. It's easy to envision Sarr progressing into a top-flight defensive big.
On the offensive end, Sarr's contributions tend to come in flashes, but he's quite talented for a player his size. He's able to put the ball on the floor and attack, hit jumpers with range out to the 3-point line and finish around the rim. Consistency in all of those areas has been an issue. Still, Sarr can do all of those things, allowing for some projection as a two-way big who can terminate plays with efficiency, even if it's not likely he will evolve into a go-to scorer.
Sarr's weaknesses
Consistency remains somewhat elusive for Sarr at this stage of his career. He has made a mostly successful jump to the NBL from a much lower level at Overtime Elite, and he has had a handful of big games while generally playing 15-20 minutes a night. The guards on his team are more scorers by trade, so he's not getting regularly fed as a finisher the way he could be in theory. But his overall feel for the game and his ability to execute his role at a high level are still evolving and will help determine where he's drafted. His decision-making with the ball and defensive habits need work.
Sarr exhibits a good amount of touch on his made shots, but his results have still been a bit underwhelming -- he's making 62% of his free throws and 33% of his 3s. His mechanics aren't bad, but they are inconsistent in how he transfers the ball to his shooting pocket, due in part to an elongated dip when catching and shooting that generates additional motion. He doesn't always shoot it with confidence, and it requires some optimism to project him as a top-tier shooter at his position.
Additionally, Sarr has long been docked by scouts for his lack of physicality and toughness, a category in which he's improving, but a flaw that does manifest occasionally. He should be a more productive rebounder, and he doesn't exact a ton of punishment on defenders around the basket, sometimes shying from contact and preferring to finish with finesse when there's a body between him and the rim.
What NBA scouts are saying about Sarr
After canvassing a range of scouts around the NBA, it seems there's modest optimism for Sarr in the long run. It's easy to nitpick his weaknesses: Having an inconsistent motor and a lack of physicality is certainly not a new predicament for teenage bigs adjusting to life at the professional level. Teams I spoke with largely viewed Sarr's transition with Perth as a successful one, expressing optimism in his upside and crediting his overall contributions to the team.
There's an expectation that Sarr may take a bit longer to properly develop, considering his current trajectory. A couple of scouts echoed that they'd much prefer to select him further down in the draft, with his outlook creating a better value proposition if you take him outside the top five. In a stronger draft class, Sarr would project more as a later-lottery to mid-first-round talent, rather than a top-five pick.
My favorite Sarr highlight
This sequence Sarr had in September during his breakout showing against G League Ignite makes for a fascinating sell of his offensive and defensive skills. He follows up a missed layup with a powerful putback dunk above the rim, gets back on defense, makes an outstanding block from behind on a cutting Matas Buzelis, stays involved with the play long enough to block Buzelis' second attempt, then recovers the miss and pushes the ball up the floor. Sarr's athleticism, finishing, rim protection and ability to run the floor were all on display.
Sarr's NBA player comp
I would look at the immediate impact of rookie Dereck Lively II, who has been quite valuable for the Dallas Mavericks this season, as a best-case scenario for Sarr out of the gate. Lively was known for great mobility as a slender 5 during his one season at Duke but was panned at times for his lack of physicality and motor. He landed in an excellent situation in Dallas, where he has seen his game take off. Sarr has more skill and versatility to offer on the offensive end, which could ticket him for more of a stretch-4 role in the long run, and maybe he isn't quite the shot-blocker Lively is. But if Sarr can get in that neighborhood of baseline value floor early in his career, there's a good chance he'll be a useful NBA player for a long time.
Projected NBA lottery team that provides the best fit for Sarr
17 points, 6 rebounds in 24 minutes for projected No. 2 pick Alex Sarr in a huge road win over first place Melbourne. The 7'1 French big man has been one of the big risers of the 2024 NBA draft cycle thus far. pic.twitter.com/Jxq5LEy3we
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) November 6, 2023
Consider teams such as the Portland Trail Blazers or Memphis Grizzlies -- which have guards in place and could stand to add size and develop talent on the front line -- as candidates to add a big early in the draft. The idea of Sarr evolving into a capable stretch big who can protect the rim, finish plays and help a team in a range of areas -- as well as the benefit of putting him alongside guards who can get into the paint and draw defensive attention -- could make him a priority target in a draft class that's lacking safe options.
Why Sarr could go No. 1
Sarr lacks the star power typically sought after in a top pick, but he offers some intrinsically modern traits that NBA teams covet in bigs. Mobile, athletic 7-footers almost always receive patience from teams and opportunities to succeed. The way Sarr runs the floor, moves defensively and flashes competent shooting is a pretty solid elevator pitch in a draft like this, where the hierarchy is very much in the eye of the beholder.
The argument that Sarr would be a much better option in the later lottery in a deeper draft is certainly a fair one, and to an extent, may tell you something about the actual likelihood he gets picked first. But the NBA always seeks players who can provide size, athleticism and skill. If a lottery team is looking to approach this draft class from a straight upside perspective, an argument can be made for Sarr as a worthwhile long-term swing, no matter what year it is or who else is in a given draft. There is perpetual demand for players with his set of tools, and successfully developing him into a starting-caliber talent would provide a valuable player in a somewhat scarce mold.
Alex Sarr covers ground as well as any player in this class, rotating seamlessly for weakside blocks with his 7-5 wingspan and impressive timing, showing superb mobility switching, recovering and contesting jumpers all over the floor. pic.twitter.com/mxtnru2HOY
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) November 30, 2023
If a team is already invested in perimeter talent, then perhaps Sarr is the most logical option to add around them, offering more room for feasible two-way impact than the other bigs in this class. Deciding how to balance the desire to invest in high-upside talent versus avoiding duplication on the roster is the conundrum many teams will face at the top of this draft, considering how little separates the top prospects. While it's early to make a call here, and the arrow may ultimately trend toward the perimeter stars in this class, there are certainly arguments that could drive things in Sarr's favor.
Jeremy Woo is an NBA analyst specializing in prospect evaluation and the draft. He was previously a staff writer and draft insider at Sports Illustrated.