It's now official, Alexandre Sarr (2m16, 18 years old) will be present at the 2024 Draft. After the great class of 2023, Olivier Sarr's little brother will be one of the frontrunners on June 26 since he could be the lucky one to succeed Victor Wembanyama as first choice. Maybe they could even play together!
The French prospect showed his value in the NBL (Australia) within the NBL Next Stars program in a professional championship which specializes in providing exposure and a springboard to young players from around the world with a view to join the NBA. With Perth, he averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in an average of 17 minutes per game. So here he is ready for the big leap, as he confirmed during his appearance on “NBA Today” on Friday.
A show in Las Vegas
“I had a great year playing professionally in the NBL. I have progressed a lot in my game and on a personal level. I'm ready to take the next step, so it was a no-brainer for me to declare for the Draft. I am grateful for the year I spent in the NBL with the Perth Wildcats”, did he declare. “Being part of the NBL Next Stars program has been a great experience. I had good teammates in Perth, good veterans who taught me NBL basketball. It’s a very good platform to progress. You play important matches where victory is essential. That’s how you really improve.”
As “Wemby” did last year with the Metropolitans 92 of Boulogne-Levallois, Alexandre Sarr was invited to Las Vegas to challenge the G-League team Ignite in Las Vegas for two matches where he was able to make displaying all his talent before the eyes of the American public, averaging 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6 blocks per game!
“What happened in Las Vegas didn’t surprise me”he added. “It’s the fruit of the work I do every summer. I know what I am capable of doing, so this is what I was waiting for, to show how much I have progressed.”
A game made for the NBA
Alexandre Sarr believes he has become a more complete player and therefore says he is ready to join the NBA. Currently in Santa Barbara, California, the interior is flourishing in this new stage of his adventure which will take him to the most prestigious basketball league in the world, with new specificities that he continues to tame.
“It’s an exciting time for me to discover NBA basketball. I already watch a lot of matches. Players like Jokic, Giannis, Kevin Durant, but also all the others, I watch the whole NBA to better understand the game”he stressed. “From what I see, I can fit in quite easily. There are a lot of changes on defense. You have to be able to defend against all the players on the pitch. Great players must be creators, make the right pass on screens and create for themselves. It's something I can do. This summer, when I really have time to work on my 3-point shooting, I will also reach another level.”
Zaccharie Risacher as opponent number 1?
At the top of the Draft, his main competitor for first place should be another Frenchman, Zaccharie Risacher, in the tough with Bourg-en-Bresse since the start of 2024 after having had a promising first part of the season. Even if he was still very discreet yesterday during the return match of the Eurocup final, the son of Stéphane Risacher will be one of the other main representatives of “Made in France” basketball for the next Draft. For Alexandre Sarr, it is already a great victory.
“Zaccharie and I were teammates three summers in a row,” slipped Alexandre Sarr. “It was a great experience. We had a lot of fun. I don't think any of us thought at the time about ending up in the NBA draft. This shows the level of talent of young French players. There is so much potential there. This is only increasing. Young French players have something to draw inspiration from with players playing in the NBA.”
