The 2024 NBA Draft class is far from a clear candidate for the Atlanta Hawks to use the first overall selection. However, there are multiple talented basketball players who stand out for their potential.

With less than a week until the NBA Draft, which will take place June 26-27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, here are the five best prospects available.

Alex Sarr, power forward

French basketball players seven feet or taller are the sensation since the last Draft by Víctor Wembanyama and now it is the turn of Alexandre Sarr, who spent the last year in the NBL, the Australian professional basketball league. The giant born in Bordeaux, France, 19 years ago, he has the potential to become an elite defender in the NBA because he is not limited to interiors due to his size, but his agility allows him to make the switch and defend guards.

Like Wemby, Sarr’s main weakness is his lack of muscle to face NBA players. According to Scouting Combine measurements, he weighed 224 pounds (101 kg) and that prevents him from maintaining his defensive position against heavier opponents and I couldn’t attack the rim easily for someone his size. In addition to this, he still needs to improve his footwork

Zaccharie Risacher, alero

Another French player who aims to be chosen in the Draft lottery is Zaccharie Risacher, who could shine as a small forward specialized in defense and triples. In addition, he has the pedigree of a professional athlete because his father, Stephane, won the beach basketball medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. His long-distance shooting efficiency of 38.7 percent makes him a serious candidate to shine as a 3&D with potential for more.

The lack of ability to generate his own shot is a problem for Risacher. Furthermore, he does not have enough strength to attack the rim easily and prevail against his rivals. In addition to this, his great height is not reflected when it comes to rebounding since he only accumulated 3.6 in the last year with JL Bourg in the French league.

Reed Sheppard, guardia

Despite being a substitute with the Kentucky Wildcats under the tutelage of John Calipari, Reed Sheppard aims to be one of the best players in the 2024 NBA Draft. The guard added 12.5 points with a 53.6 percent shooting from the field. The highlight is his ability to shoot threes when that shot has become the league’s favorite; The 20-year-old forward scored on 52.1 percent of his long-range attempts. Furthermore, he knows how to manage the ball well since he distributed 4.5 assists at the cost of 2.0 turnovers per game.

His short stature for a starting guard is a drawback for Sheppard. The guard is 1.86 meters tall and that will be a problem when he has to defend taller guards like Tyrese Haliburton, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Luka Doncic. Additionally, he will have to work on creating space when he is pressured because he is not one of the most athletic guards; At the Scouting Combine he recorded 10.96 seconds in the paint agility exercise and he ran the course in 3.08 seconds when the best time was 2.87, achieved by Devin Carter. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

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Stephon Castle, guardia

The UConn Huskies won the 2024 March Madness thanks to Dan Hurley, a former candidate to be head coach of the Lakers, putting together a great team with Stephon Castle as the main facilitator and primary perimeter defender. Plus, he can play without the ball. During his last year he played 34 games and his contribution was 11.1 points with 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He has winning DNA since he was part of the USA Basketball team that won the FIBA ​​Americas U18 in 2022 where he coincided with Anthony Black, of the Orlando Magic, and Cam Whitmore, of the Houston Rockets.

The only thing Castle needs is to improve his jumper. According to Synergy, he only made 29.4 percent of his three-pointers on the move. The potential to improve his shooting is there as he finished with a 75.5 percent free throw.

Donovan Clingan, center

Size can’t be taught and Clingan is a 7-foot-3 giant who starred for the UConn Huskies alongside Stephon Castle. The 20-year-old center has a wingspan of 2.31 with which he can block all shots close to the rim. In addition to his great defensive potential and effectiveness in direct blocking plays, what differentiates him from Zach Edey of the Purdue Boilermakers is his ability to assist his teammates from the top of the key.

The points against Clingan are his lack of mobility to defend the perimeter and the lack of a reliable mid- and long-range shot. Over the last year he only attempted eight three-pointers and made two of them. The issue is complicated in free throws because he only made 58.3 percent of his attempts.

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2024-06-22 21:37:42
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