Alex Sarr eyes Atlanta as basketball’s next stop

CHICAGO — In an NBA draft considered devoid of an obvious No. 1 pick, especially compared to Victor Wembanyama’s obviousness last year, there is one prospect most often mentioned as the player likely to start .

Alex Sarr may not be everyone’s choice as a player worthy of the Hawks’ draft, but he thinks he knows who should start.

When asked what he told NBA executives who met with him throughout this week’s pre-draft camp about his potential, Sarr responded: “I would say I think that I’m the best player in the draft.”

Since these meetings typically last 20-30 minutes, there might be more to say on the subject. When asked to elaborate on what makes him better, Sarr was more specific, even talkative.

“I think I’m a versatile defender and I can play inside out on offense,” he said.

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He didn’t sound boastful, if only because he answered so briefly and softly. Given the uncertainty surrounding the 2024 NBA draft class, his opinion isn’t as far-fetched as when Scoot Henderson said last year that he should be the first player taken in Wemby’s draft.

With Sarr, a 19-year-old from Bordeaux, in France, it was more down-to-earth, part of being a top prospect who spent years preparing for his era.

“I’m a competitor, so I want to be first in everything I do,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s that big of a deal, because I can’t control it. But of course it means something.

Sarr looked like he belonged in Chicago, at least compared to the other players the Hawks will have to consider. At 6-11¾ barefoot with a wingspan of 7-4¼ and a standing reach of 9-2, he posted good times and jump numbers in Monday’s testing.

Even at 7 feet in length, Sarr shows potential not only as a rim protector, but also as a frontcourt player capable of defending on the perimeter in switches. He said he had become increasingly proud of his defense since his second season with Overtime Elite – last season he played with Perth in the Australian NBL – although he did not make a comparison to Wembanyama or Chet Holmgren, defensive stars as rookies this season.

“Of course I watch NBA games. I see what they’re doing,” he said. “I don’t compare myself to anyone in the league. I think everyone plays a different type of role.

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Sarr averaged 9.6 points and 4.5 rebounds last season and is considered a strong finisher with enough ball handling to attack the fences. But he would need to improve his perimeter shooting — he made 27.6 percent of his 3s last season — for defenses to feel the need to close out on the outside.

“I think I can make an impact in the open court pushing the ball in transition, hitting the 3 more consistently,” Sarr said.

Sarr was on the radar of NBA teams long before he played for OTE, with whom he could be seen by scouts also watching Rockets guard Amen Thompson and his brother Ausar. Sarr came from a family of basketball players. His father, Massar, played professionally. His brother, Olivier, who is six years older and has a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, played for Wake Forest and Kentucky.

“My brother and my dad played basketball, so it made more sense for me to play basketball,” Sarr said. “I never really had to choose.”

He chose a different path. Rather than play college basketball in the United States, Sarr signed with Spanish League power Real Madrid before joining OTE’s then-nascent development program ahead of its season in Australia.

“I don’t know if I’m better prepared, but I know I already played my first year professionally, so I think I know what it takes to be a pro, what it takes to be surrounded by pros” , said Sarr. “Being in away games with a hostile crowd, I know how it feels.”

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He has played for the France under-16, under-17 and under-19 teams at high-profile events. Scouts didn’t need to see him take uncontested jumpers in Chicago’s drills to know what Sarr could bring. But his season in Australia improved his stock and justified his unusual path to the draft.

“That’s what I was looking forward to going out there: playing against grown men, getting more physical in my game,” Sarr said. “I think it was a bit of a learning curve at first. I think that’s how you improve when you hit the wall and then find a way to perform.

“I played in a lot of different places, I traveled a lot, I started in Spain, then OTE, then Australia. It was a really fun way to get to that moment.

More than fun, it seems to have worked. He may not be considered a consensus No. 1 pick, but it wouldn’t be surprising to find him the first to take the stage on draft night.