“Situational Evaluation” is a collection of articles that seeks to look at the circumstances that the majority usually affect an NBA prospect’s success. Every participant can be scored on a scale from 1-10 in 4 totally different classes: NBA-specific talent(s), deadly flaw(s), collegiate/abroad/pre-NBA surroundings, and preferrred NBA ecosystem.
Alexandre Sarr is a 19-year-old middle/ahead from Bordeaux, France, who averaged 17.2 minutes, 9.7 factors, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per sport for the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s NBL. He’s anticipated to be chosen among the many top-three picks on this 12 months’s draft. NBADraft.web presently has him projected at No. 2.
NBA-Particular Expertise
The NBA has reworked extra during the last 10 years than it has at some other 10-year interval in its historical past. The geometry of the sport started with squares and rectangles earlier than Tex Winter launched triangles. The house between the 5 gamers on the courtroom was clearly outlined till Steph Curry and Damian Lillard stretched that house properly past beforehand established boundaries. To counteract that house, groups wanted to seek out defensive gamers who might negate that house by way of before-unthinkable combos of size, athleticism, and intuition.
At his greatest, Alex Sarr is in every single place directly.
At 7-1 with a 7-5 wingspan, Sarr enters the NBA as a reliable shotblocking menace on day one. He’s lean, however he’s a lot stronger than he appears to be like. Solely the beefiest submit brutes within the NBA (suppose Jokic, Embiid, Valanciunas, and so forth.) will present any form of vital energy mismatch. In right now’s pace-and-space NBA, Sarr, even at 220 kilos, will maintain up high quality in opposition to most facilities. Nevertheless it’s his weakside assist protection and his potential to modify on the perimeter that can make him a invaluable commodity.
Sarr’s defensive upside is near that of Jonathan Isaac in Orlando, who, when wholesome, turns the Magic right into a full-scale defensive wrecking machine. Sarr is the uncommon form of participant who’s as snug defending the rim as he’s swallowing up ball handlers on the perimeter. Very like Mitchell Robinson, it wouldn’t shock me to see Sarr rack up blocked photographs on opponents’ 3-point makes an attempt.
Sarr additionally exhibits terrific rebounding instincts on each ends and wonderful arms. He isn’t a “create his personal shot” sort of offensive menace (and certain by no means can be), however he supplies a vertical spacing menace as a dive man on the decide and roll and runs like a gazelle in transition. The offensive sport continues to be a piece in progress, however he exhibits flashes – the occasional coast-to-coast one-man transition assault off a rebound, the surprisingly slick dribble drive, the rising perimeter shot, the respectable stroke from the free throw line.
Sarr has all of the instruments. He simply wants time to seek out the fitting toolbox to suit all of them into. His ready-made defensive skillset ought to permit him to see sufficient minutes in precise NBA motion to let him work on the remainder of his offensive sport.
On a scale from 1-10, Sarr’s defensive upside is an 8.5.
Deadly Flaws
Regardless that it’s a down 12 months for the NBA draft, a staff selecting within the top-three would nonetheless desire to herald a extra polished participant.
The offensive skillset is rather more hypothetical at this level. It’s a variety of “maybes” with out one surefire “undoubtedly.” He may flip himself into an excellent shooter sometime, however the launch continues to be a bit sluggish, and the outcomes are hit or miss. He may study to navigate the fragile dance of an NBA decide and roll, however he’s nonetheless very a lot locked into that straight-line, dive-to-the-hoop mindset.
Of larger concern, nonetheless, is whether or not Sarr ever turns his prodigious defensive expertise into actionable, first-team All-Protection sort impression. The league’s greatest defensive gamers are 1) extraordinarily aggressive, and a couple of) extraordinarily communicative. Defensive anchors don’t merely clear up messes with weakside shotblocks. They name out coverages, shift matchups on the fly, and discuss always. Sarr is just not a chatty participant at this stage of his growth. Total quarters can drift by with out realizing Sarr is on the market. Granted, he’s younger and really uncooked – it takes a novel form of persona to chirp at teammates who’re a lot older than you. However Sarr’s complete profession can be decided by how aggressive he turns into.
In a typical draft, Sarr would possible discover himself in that 7-11 vary, freed from the expectations of a top-3 decide. He can be allowed to develop at his personal tempo. Honest or unfair, that won’t be the case this 12 months. He should hit the bottom working, each bodily and temperamentally.
On a scale from 1 (not a priority) to 10 (critical hindrance), Sarr’s mixture of rawness and timidty charges at an 8.5.
Pre-NBA Setting
Sarr has the good thing about coming to the NBA from a basketball-first household. His father, Massar, performed professionally for a number of years, and has helped put his kids on a path to reach this sport. His older brother, Olivier, stood out on a number of French youth squads and presently holds a two-way contract for the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
Alex performed for Actual Madrid’s youth squad for a pair years earlier than shifting to America to play in Extra time Elite in Atlanta. Basketball has been a paying vocation for Alex for fairly a while. The trials of NBA life will appear not less than considerably acquainted to him already.
His skilled profession continued final 12 months with a stable marketing campaign for the Perth Wildcats, the place his per-minute averages present super promise for what he can accomplish throughout his rookie contract. Alex has additionally loved sturdy runs for each the Spanish and Hungarian FIBA youth groups. He has seen all kinds of coaches and conditions in his younger basketball life, and it’s arduous to think about that any NBA scenario will catch him abruptly. He’s solely 19, however he’s had extra skilled basketball experiences than most comparable prospects.
On a scale from 1-10, Sarr’s pre-NBA profession charges at an 8.
Very best NBA Ecosystem
The Atlanta Hawks shocked draft watchers by leaping into the highest spot of this 12 months’s draft with a 3% probability. They’ve a borderline playoff staff with a variety of questions this offseason, however few of them appear to contain the middle spot. Until this franchise decides to maneuver on from Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, or each (they need to dangle onto Okongwu), it’s arduous to ascertain this staff utilizing the highest total decide on a uncooked huge man that doesn’t handle the staff’s instant want on the wing.
The place does that depart Sarr?
The plain touchdown spot for Sarr is in Washington for a Wizards squad in want of, properly, the whole lot. Sarr gained’t flip them right into a playoff staff in a single day, however he would instantly step onto the ground as one of many staff’s greatest defensive gamers. After buying and selling Daniel Gafford to Dallas on the deadline final season, the Wizards’ entrance line is very skinny. Sarr would problem Marvin Bagley and Richaun Holmes for minutes and assist deliver a shotblocking/switchability dimension this squad sorely lacks. Plus, he would have fellow countryman Bilal Coulibaly within the locker room. It may not be greatest for Sarr to enter this perpetually chaotic Wizards scenario, however Washington desperately wants the very best model of what Sarr brings to the desk.
I additionally like Sarr’s slot in Houston. Defensive-minded head coach Ime Udoka would get essentially the most out of his vital bodily instruments and he wouldn’t have the strain to supply instantly, because the Rockets are knocking on the door of a possible playoff berth subsequent 12 months. I really like the concept of Sarr studying the ropes of NBA protection from having to protect Alperin Sengun in observe every single day.
Wherever Sarr finally ends up, he wants to seek out himself on a staff that permits him to study on the job. If he doesn’t develop a constant position with clear expectations and his minutes get jerked round, it’s straightforward to ascertain a situation the place Sarr loses confidence.
On a scale from 1-10, Sarr’s situational dependence is an 8.5. He has upside to spare, however he wants the fitting steering and the right runway for it to develop.
