2024 NBA Draft: Evaluating All Prospects in Ignite vs Perth Matchup
Today and on Friday, G League Ignite will play against the Perth Wildcats out of the NBL. Ignite is headlined by potential number one picks Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis while Perth has Alexandre Sarr who’s a potential top ten pick in this year's upcoming draft. Let’s dive into each prospect on both of these rosters to prepare for these two games this week.
Ron Holland | Ignite
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Holland is a 6-foot-8 forward who will have the biggest role on this team. His elite defensive versatility, motor, and competitiveness gives him a massive edge on defense. The potential number one pick is so disruptive defensively with a great combination of tools and smarts. Offensively Holland is at his best as a slasher but has made promising strides as a shooter and passer over the last year. The two-way forward brings a lot to the table
Matas Buzelis | Ignite
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Buzelis is a 6-foot-10 forward with an immense amount of skill and upside. The potential number one overall pick is one of the top scoring prospects eligible for this year’s upcoming draft. His ability to consistently get to his spots at his size due to his fluidity and handle is quite impressive. The supersized wing can operate as a ball-handler out of the pick and roll as he can score or pass it out of ball-screens. Buzelis is a gifted offensive prospect that should show really promising flashes throughout the season.
Izan Almansa | Ignite
FIBA.com
Izan Almansa is a 6-foot-10 big man out of Spain. He was recently named MVP of the FIBA U19 World Cup this past summer. The MVP has proven to be extremely productive and can contribute to winning basketball during his time in FIBA and Overtime Elite. Almansa is a skilled big man with a high feel for the game. His touch inside the paint at his size is quite ridiculous as he’s capable of using floaters, hook shots, and a variety of different finishes at the rim. Almansa’s stock is rapidly rising and could continue to do so after this week’s slate of contests.
Thierry Darlan | Ignite
FIBA.com
Thierry Darlan is a 6-foot-6 combo guard with a ton of potential on both ends of the floor. He has an impressive dribble, pass and shoot skills set. He’s able to get to his spots due to the great pace he plays with and his willingness as a shooter with solid percentages will go a long way in his development as a shooter. Defensively his upside is off the charts due to his great physical tools. He has a 7-foot-1 wingspan and has great movement skills. The high upside combo guard will be a name to watch this year.
London Johnson | Ignite
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London Johnson is a 6-foot-3 point guard who will be playing in his second season in the G League for Ignite. Johnson is an offensive-minded lead guard that can score it at all three levels and create for others in the half-court. He plays at a great pace which allows him to get to his spots. As the only true point guard on this roster, Johnson will have a big role on this team and expectations are much higher for him heading into his second season.
Babacar Sane | Ignite
Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports
Babacar Sane is a 6-foot-6 wing who will also be playing in his second season in the G League for Ignite. He is a physical prospect with very athletic tools. He weighs 235 pounds with explosiveness and strength. As of now, Sane is best as a play finisher at the rim on the offensive end. He has the defensive tools to work with and untapped potential on that end. He is still a work in progress but impresses scouts with his physique and athleticism.
Tyler Smith | Ignite
Tyler Smith is a 6-foot-10 lefty forward who last played in the Overtime Elite League. He is a skilled jumbo forward that can really shoot it. His main intrigue is being a quality stretch big at 6-foot-10 with complementary skills. He can attack closeouts when needed as he’s a solid ball-handler and has shown flashes off off the dribble jumpers. He moves quite well at his size which is a nice skill for tall forwards to have. With the way this roster is constructed, Smith should have a ton of catch and shoot opportunities to show off his shooting ability.
Dink Pate | Ignite
Dink Pate is a 6-foot-7 guard and is the youngest known American professional basketball player ever. It’s worth noting that Pate isn’t eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft, but he’s eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft due to age restrictions, as he was born in 2006. The skilled guard has a really deep bag offensively that he’ll be able to showcase all year long. He can create efficient offense for himself and teammates with his smooth handle and playmaking ability. Pate is one of the most enticing prospects on this roster and with two years of development in the G League, he should be able to get himself into lottery conversations in his draft class.
Alexandre Sarr | Perth
FIBA.com
Sarr is a 7-foot-1 big man who last played in the Overtime Elite League. He is the top prospect on this Perth team as he has some enticing two-way potential. The big man has ridiculous defensive versatility due to his great movement skills, impressive coordination and defensive smarts. He can protect the rim, be versatile on ball-screen coverages and defend out in space. Offensively he has shown flashes as a stretch big with some real skill out on the perimeter and inside the paint. Some scouts believe Sarr has a chance to be a top five pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
David Okwera | Perth
FIBA.com
David Okwera is a 6-foot-10 prospect who is auto eligible for this year’s upcoming draft. Okwera is a skilled big man who has shown improvements in the right direction over the last year. The size, fluidity and mobility is a rare combination for someone at 6-foot-10. There have been some slight flashes of him showing off a handle and making jumpers off the dribble although he’s not consistent with it yet. It will be interesting to see how well he fits next to Sarr as both bigs move quite well at their size although he looks much more promising as a defender.
Dontae Russo-Nance | Perth
Dontae Russo-Nance is a 6-foot-3 guard who last played for Oak Hill Academy. He is a high level shot-creating guard that can really score it and create for others. His pesky defense shouldn’t go unrecognized either as he does a very good job of getting his hands on the ball defensively. The lead guard is a tough shot-maker off the dribble that can score all over the perimeter. Russo-Nance is in his first year of eligibility for the draft so it’ll be interesting to see how much noise he can make in the NBL this season next to potential five pick pick, Sarr.
Ben Henshall | Perth
Ben Henshall is a 6-foot-5 wing who’s in his second year of eligibility for the NBA Draft. The Australian wing is a disruptive perimeter defender who has the ability to really lock up defensively. His passing vision is good as he can make some impressive passes out of the pick and roll and in the half-court. He’s a very good shooter, especially off the catch as he has good shot preparation and mechanics. Henshall has a good feel for the game and some nice craft in his arsenal. It’s unknown how big of a role Henshall will have on this team, but there’s a chance he can be a productive two-way role player for them.
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