Day After Hawks Win NBA Draft Lottery, Oddsmakers Have Alex Sarr As The Favorite To Be Taken No. 1

Jackson Caudell | May 13, 2024

Alex Sarr / theScore.com

The Atlanta Hawks shocked the NBA world yesterday by winning the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery, despite having just a 3% chance of getting the top pick. It is the first time that Atlanta has ever won the lottery and it has made the Hawks's future instantly brighter, even if you are low on this draft class.

As soon as the Hawks won the draft lottery, there seemed to be a popular player being projected to Atlanta from analysts around the NBA and now according to Caesars Sportsbook, Alex Sarr is the favorite to go No. 1 at -225.

This draft has been criticized for not having elite-level talent in it, but Sarr seems to be the most popular player being mocked to the Hawks and it is not hard to see why. No matter what decision Atlanta makes with its backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, Atlanta needs to add more size, athleticism, and length to its defense and Sarr brings a ton of that. At 7'1, 219 with a 7'4 wingspan, Sarr checks off a ton of boxes in Atlanta if they choose to keep the pick and take him.

Atlanta could opt to try and trade the No.1 pick, though that is not something that is one the mind of general manager Landry Fields right now:

"Not even our focus right now. Like... this is a point in time where the opportunity before us is an excellent one and it puts us in position. Positioning is key in this business and that is the position that we have right now, the No. 1 position. We will just keep doing what we do, gather as a group and we will figure this thing out in time."

.@ATLHawks GM Landry Fields on whether they plan to keep the No. 1 pick: "Not even our focus right now." pic.twitter.com/8xymqjnQ0H

— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) May 12, 2024

Winning the lottery ensures that Atlanta has plenty of options on the table as far as the offseason goes. There are still lots of decisions to be made, but the Hawks offseason is off to a solid start.

Here is a scouting report on Sarr courtesy of the Ringer's Kevin O'Connor:

PLUSES

• Athletic finisher who is always looking for opportunities to cut to the rim, including baseline cuts behind daydreaming defenders. If he needs to cut into a post-up, he can seal off his defender then patiently use shoulder and ball fakes to carve out space for layups and hook shots.
• Fluidly handles the ball like a wing. He’s at his best catching the ball behind the 3-point line then attacking off the bounce. He loves to drive then spin into his right hand.
• Skilled passer who can make “wow” deliveries off the dribble. Though he needs to cut down on forcing the ball, his will to pass is overall a positive quality. He could thrive out of short rolls and as a connective piece in the half-court, as he does for Perth coming off motion plays that slingshot him toward the basket.
• He’s so mobile that he’ll be at his best in a switch-heavy scheme. As a defender in space, he’s very good at closing out to contest shooters or flying in to help with his length at the basket.
• Brings a consistently high level of effort and hustle as a rebounder and defender.

MINUSES

• He shoots a lot of jumpers, but he doesn’t make many of them. This year with Perth, he's shooting just 29.5 percent from 3 and 61 percent from the line, which is about what he averaged at Overtime Elite the year before, too. He doesn’t have much touch away from the basket either, so shooting efficiently from 3 may just not be in the cards.
• Off-hand finishing needs to come a long way. There are layups when he will leap off his left foot, then contour his body to use his right hand when a lefty layup would’ve been uncontestable.
• Needs to progress as a decision maker. He travels too often when attacking closeouts and needs to clean up his footwork.