2024 NBA Draft: Ignite vs Perth Game One Takeaways

We can finally say that yesterday was the start of the 2024 NBA Draft cycle. Ron Holland looked like a number one pick and Alexandre Sarr was a defensive stud, but who else stood out?

Team Ignite out of the G League scored 124 points to defeat the Perth Wildcats out of the NBL who scored 105 points in game one of their two game series. We got to see ten different 2024 NBA Draft eligible prospects play in yesterday's game and a bunch of those players got quality minutes on the floor.

Let’s dive into some of the biggest takeaways from last night’s game:

Ron Holland Looked Like The No. 1 Pick

Ron Holland dropped 23 points in a win over Perth yesterday as he looked like the best player and prospect on the Ignite roster. Holland did his normal stuff defensively as he looked extremely comfortable and elite defending against professionals.

The 6-foot-8 forward is arguably the best defensive prospect in the draft as he has the versatility to defend one through four effectively and he made sure to let Perth know about it as he was caught talking trash throughout the course of the game. The Wildcats struggled to keep Holland out of the paint as he was consistently getting to the rim and finishing.

As of now, Holland is at his best as a slasher as he has the fluid handle and burst to blow-by defenders while also having the finishing versatility to convert on a variety of different layup attempts from different angles. The two-way prospect is the early favorite to go number one in the 2024 NBA Draft and he backed that up last night on both ends of the floor.

Alexandre Sarr Is A Defensive Stud

Alexandre Sarr was excellent on the defensive end as he ended the game with an incredible six blocks and multiple altering shots at the rim. Sarr stands at 7-foot-1 with an incredibly long 7-foot-5 wingspan which gives him a major advantage in the interior.

What makes Sarr a defensive stud is that he’s much more than just a rim protector as he’s extremely fluid, mobile and speedy for someone at his height. The French big man is comfortable defending out in space and showcased versatility as a pick and roll defender.

What’s crazy is that he hasn’t even nearly reached his full potential on the defensive end as he has a chance to be one of the top defensive bigs in the NBA at some point if he reaches his ceiling on that end. There’s a case to be made, like Holland, that he’s the best defensive prospect in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Izan Almansa Is The King of The Little Things

Izan Almansa showed a little bit of everything in yesterday’s win versus Perth. Almansa doesn’t have the most appealing physical tools for a center compared to some other prospects but his IQ and feel for the game is off the charts for his age and position.

The 6-foot-10 big man made a ton of good passes and kept the game simple as usual. The accuracy, timing and reads he’s able to make allows him to absolutely thrive out of the short roll. Defensively he’s not quite elite at any skill on that end but he’s solid at just about everything that makes him a really good all-around defender and someone that could be considered a two-way player.

Almansa doesn’t do the flashy stuff that you might typically see out of a lottery pick but there’s so many things that Almansa is able to do on the court that it gives him a chance to be a top ten pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

What’s Matas Buzelis’ Identity On Offense?

Matas Buzelis is heavily in the conversation to be the number one pick in the 2024 NBA Draft at this point but there are some noticeable questions in his game that he’ll have to really figure out. In the recent drafts, most of the top three picks all had a clear offensive identity and projectable role but it seems as if Buzelis is still trying to figure out what his niche is.

He’s clearly a talented wing prospect at 6-foot-10 with a ton of upside but the upright handle and inconsistent 3-point shooting may cause some issues moving forward. Buzelis had some nice finishes and jumpers last night but he needs to figure out what his sweet spot will be as a scorer and something that he can be absolutely elite at like all the other superstar players in the NBA

The young prospect still has the whole season ahead of him to figure out what his elite offensive skill will be at the next level and when watching him and seeing the flashes you can clearly see why he’s in the conversation to be the number one pick.

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