Tag: Alexandre Sarr

2024 NBA Mock Draft: Latest first-round projections at midway point of season

Rookie Wire took a look at the 2024 NBA draft class and where the top prospects stand as of Feb. 1.

The top NBA draft prospects worldwide have collectively reached the second halves of their respective seasons as they look to showcase themselves in front of scouts and executives.

The class this year has seen several players help their stock, while others have struggled and fallen down draft boards. Some players have also dealt with recent injuries and other factors that have prevented them from reaching their potential.

The draft is widely considered open at the top of the board, with several prospects in the conversation to be the first selection. Unlike last year, when Victor Wembanyama was the consensus No. 1 pick, there is no clear-cut choice this year.

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Prospects will continue to see their standing fluctuate over the remaining two-plus months of action on the court as scouts have more time to evaluate them. The sheer unknown atop the draft board should create plenty of storylines to follow over the remainder of the season.

The NBA announced on Wednesday that the draft will be expanded to a two-night format, with the first round set to take place on June 26 at the Barclays Center. The second round will be at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York the following night.

Rookie Wire looked at the class and where the top prospects stand at this point of the season. The order was determined by the reverse order of the NBA standings as of Feb. 1.

Note: Player fit wasn’t necessarily taken into account with each pick. Pick protections and other notes courtesy of Tankathon.

A new 2024 NBA Draft poll of scouts revealed an intriguing prospect is the favorite to go No. 1

Who do you have at No. 1 overall?

While there is still plenty of time for this all to shake out, it is never too early to speculate about who will become the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Last year, long before the pick was made at Barclays Center, we knew who would hear his name called with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft with nearly 100 percent certainty. There was never even a doubt that a team would select Victor Wembanyama at that position.

RELATED: Projecting the first round with Ja’Kobe Walter leading the way

This year, no obvious candidate is waiting in the wings as a “can’t miss” prospect. But there is one player who has potentially separated himself from the pack, at least according to several NBA executives who spoke with draft insider Jeremy Woo (via ESPN):

“The 7-foot-1 French big man is currently sidelined with a hip injury but is presently expected to return before the end of the season. It’s worth noting that several of the Sarr voters expressed their lack of confidence in that outcome, but viewed him as the tentative best bet. […]

Sarr’s youth, versatility as a mobile defender and perimeter-friendly forward — coupled with the league-wide demand for tall, skilled frontcourt players — could give him the broadest degree of appeal amongst the top candidates. Sarr’s NBL role has been modest, but he’s grown into it nicely and demonstrated he can impact winning, which puts him in a good developmental place for a 7-footer who has yet to turn 19 and is still getting his first real taste of high-level basketball.”

The big man currently ranks No. 1 overall on ESPN’s Big Board. He is also projected to hear his name with the first pick in Yahoo’s latest mock draft.

Sarr, who plays for the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s NBL, received 12 votes from Woo’s survey of 20 scouts and executives. G League Ignite forward Ronald Holland received two votes and no other prospect received more than one.

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2024 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Projecting the first round before the season, with Alex Sarr rising

We’ve got some early risers on the second edition of our 2024 NBA mock draft.

Before the 2023-24 NBA season begins, we wanted to take another look at how the upcoming draft class is shaping up.

Most scouts would tell you that this isn’t as exciting of a class without a big name like Victor Wembanyama (or even Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller or either Thompson twin) in the mix.

But that does not mean there isn’t value across the board that executives can find, especially as some prospects will certainly have breakout campaigns for their respective teams.

After extensive research and conversations around the league, based on our intel and projections, this is how we see the 2024 NBA Draft unfolding as of right now.

You’ll notice that, as ESPN did, we excluded Bronny James from these projections. If he returns with a clean bill of health, that could change in our next mock draft.

Unless noted otherwise, all data was pulled from our friends at Cerebro Sports — you can create a free account to evaluate player performance across all levels globally. We also used AI-Powered statistics provided by the Stats Perform database.

Our order was determined based on reversed odds to win the 2024 NBA Finals. The teams outside the top eight in each conference were considered lottery squads. Trades were pulled from this database at RealGM.

With all that in mind, here is how I’d project the 2024 NBA Draft:

The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Projected lottery pick Alex Sarr voted one of the top international players by GMs

Sarr was voted one of the top international players not currently playing in the NBA in the annual survey of general managers.

Alexandre Sarr, a projected first-round pick next year, was voted one of the top international players not currently playing in the NBA in the annual survey of general managers released this week.

Born in France, Sarr recently stole the show in front of executives and scouts during two games against the G League Ignite with the Perth Wildcats in Henderson, Nevada. He averaged 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, six blocks and two assists in those two outings.

The 7-footer flashed his overall game versus the Ignite, from his shooting to his ability to block shots. His 7-foot, 5-inch wingspan gave the Ignite problems in those two games as it should enable him to find similar success this season in the NBL.

The performance enabled him to be recognized by NBA GMs.

Who is the best international player NOT in the NBA?

  1. Nikola Mirotic – 37%
  2. Edy Tavares – 27%
  3. Alex Sarr – 13%
  4. Dzanan Musa – 10%
  5. Willy Hernangomez – 7%; Also receiving votes: Juancho Hernangomez, Rokas Jokubaitis

The 18-year-old is currently averaging 12 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and one assist in three games this season with the Wildcats. He has connected on four of his six 3-point attempts in the early going and recently hit a clutch shot to seal a win last week.

Sarr helped himself, perhaps as much as any prospect during that two-game exhibition run, and should begin the year projected to be a lottery pick. With more improvement and development, he could find himself ranked even higher by next June.

Last year, eventual No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama took the top spot in the survey in the same category. Sarr has the potential to emerge as the next elite prospect from France, given his overall skill set, and is high on general managers’ radars, as a result.

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G League Ignite: Ron Holland drops 33 points in preseason matchup vs. Perth

Holland had another strong performance on Friday to lead the Ignite in a preseason matchup with the Perth Wildcats.

Potential No. 1 pick Ron Holland had another strong performance on Friday to lead the G League Ignite in a preseason matchup with the Perth Wildcats of the NBL.

Holland produced 33 points, six rebounds, five steals and two steals in a 127-112 loss to the Wildcats. He once again looked comfortable on the court and showed his quick burst and ability to get downhill and draw contact at the rim. He went 12-of-14 from the free-throw line.

The 18-year-old recorded 23 points in his debut with the Ignite on Wednesday. He led all scorers and looked to be perhaps the best prospect in a game that also featured Izan Almansa, Matas Buzelis, Babacar Sane, Alexandre Sarr and Tyler Smith.

Bryce Cotton led the Wildcats with 40 points.

While the veteran Cotton stole the show for the Wildcats, Sarr, a potential lottery pick, registered a double-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots. The 7-footer showed his athleticism, length and overall ability in his two games against the Ignite.

With Holland leading the way for the Ignite, Buzelis scored 17 points and four rebounds. London Johnson added 14 points, five assists and three rebounds. Almansa had 13 points and four rebounds, and Sane added nine points and 12 rebounds off the bench.

With the two-game series versus the Wildcats wrapped up, the Ignite will continue to prepare in Henderson, Nevada, for the upcoming season. The team will open its regular season on Nov. 10 at home against the Ontario Clippers.

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G League Ignite: How each draft prospect performed in their debut on Wednesday

Potential No. 1 pick Ron Holland led the Ignite to a win over the Perth Wildcats on Wednesday in a preseason matchup.

Potential No. 1 pick Ron Holland made his professional debut on Wednesday and led the G League Ignite to a win over the Perth Wildcats in a preseason matchup in Henderson, Nevada.

Much like when they faced Metropolitans 92 last year, the Ignite are once again beginning their season against an international opponent. This time, they are facing the Wildcats of the NBL for a two-game series with the second contest to be played on Friday (9 p.m. EDT, NBA TV).

Holland led all scorers with 23 points, five rebounds, three steals, one assist and one blocked shot in the 124-105 victory. He went 9-of-13 from the field and looked to be comfortable pulling up from all over the court throughout the contest.

Holland is among several prospects that hit the court on Wednesday, including Izan Almansa, Matas Buzelis, Thierry Darlan, Dink Pate, Babacar Sane, Alexandre Sarr and Tyler Smith. With the exception of Pate, who is draft-eligible in 2025, each player is projected to be drafted next year.

Here is how each player performed on Wednesday.

NBA TV to televise G League Ignite preseason games vs. Perth Wildcats

NBA TV will televise a pair of games between the Ignite and Perth Wildcats of the NBL next month in Nevada.

NBA TV will televise a pair of preseason games between the G League Ignite and Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League next month in Henderson, Nevada.

The games on Sept. 6 and Sept. 8 are part of the inaugural G League Invitational and are expected to feature several top prospects in the 2024 NBA draft, including Ignite players Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland and Alexandre Sarr of the Wildcats.

Buzelis and Holland were top-10 high school prospects in the class of 2023. Both committed to play with the Ignite over the summer. They are projected to be lottery picks next year, and Holland is in the conversation to be the No. 1 pick.

Sarr, who is from France, is also considered a first-round pick after spending the past two years at Overtime Elite. The 7-footer has represented France twice, most recently in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup this summer. France won the silver medal in the event.

The Wildcats are the most successful team in the NBL, winning 10 championships and appearing in 16 Grand Finals. The team has had several notable players over the years, including Bryce Cotton, Luc Longley, Casey Prather and Luke Travers.

Building off the success of last year’s contest between the Ignite and Metropolitans 92, in which Scoot Henderson faced off against Victor Wembanyama, the G League will once again be at the center of the basketball world next month.

Note: This story has been corrected after previously indicating Jock Landale and Jack White played with Perth in the past. They played with Melbourne United.

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