Top NBA Draft Prospect Alexandre Sarr Faces Questions Regarding Offensive Role

It's still unclear what Sarr will bring to the NBA on the offensive end.

Jun 22, 2023; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver announces Amen Thompson as the fourth selection by the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft at Barclays Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

With the NBA Draft quickly approaching this Wednesday, the top pick still remains unclear. Amongst names like Donovan Clingan and Zaccharie Risacher, Alexandre Sarr sticks out as a leading candidate to be the number one overall selection to the Atlanta Hawks

The 7-foot forward’s biggest appeal is on the defensive end, where his rangy movement skills and 7-foot-4 wingspan make him a force contesting shots. However, on the other end of the ball, questions surround the NBA value of Sarr’s offensive skill-set.

Sarr has exhibited intriguing flashes in several ways as a scorer with an array of impressive, tough buckets. But playing for the Perth Wildcats of Australia’s NBL, he failed to find much success in any aspect of offense en route to his 9.7 point per game scoring average. The Frenchman lacked touch on finishes, balance on drives, and physicality on interior attacks. On the perimeter, his sub-30% shooting from beyond the arc couldn’t generate good offense.

At just under 225 pounds, Sarr doesn’t possess any semblance of the screening ability nor interior finishing to project as a productive NBA offensive center. Additionally, he lacks the shooting and ball skills to contribute as a perimeter player any time soon. These facts complicate Sarr’s NBA projection offensively. With his impressive, albeit infrequent, drives and pull-up jumpers, he’s displayed glaring upside as a scorer. However, he has many weak points in his repertoire to address, such as his interior scoring and jumpshot, before he can even begin to materialize his flashes of potential into consistent impact.

Luckily, Sarr’s physical tools give him a large margin for error as he grows on the offensive end. Even with gaps in skill, his long, swift strides and overwhelming reach can fuel success. Given his likely impactful defense at the NBA level, it’s understandable why organizations would feel comfortable betting on Sarr’s offensive development towards the top of this year’s draft class. However, he has lots of room to grow before he can contribute to an NBA offense.

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