Sports

/

ArcaMax

Odds are in on Hornets' chances for No. 1 pick in NBA draft. Who could they select?

Roderick Boone, The Charlotte Observer on

Published in Basketball

Alex Sarr, France, C, 7-1

An above-the-rim threat, he most recently played in Australia, honing his skills with Perth. He was a factor in his team reaching the National Basketball League’s semifinals, posting 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, averaging 17 minutes per game.

He has a wingspan that nearly stretches 7-foot-5 and the scouting report suggests he plays more on the perimeter than interior, using face ups and his speed to try to get past defenders. Although his 3-pointer needs work and he shot just shy of 30% this past season.

At the G League fall showcase in Las Vegas, he more than held his own during his team’s matchup with the G League Ignite, putting up 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.0 blocks per game during their pair of matchups. Some of the early comparisons peg him along the lines of Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr., Orlando’s Jonathan Isaac and Dallas’ Dereck Lively. That’s not bad company.

Nikola Topic, Serbia, PG, 6-6

 

The son of Milenko Topic, a former head coach and gold medalist for Yugoslavia who also played professionally, he’s a combo guard with solid use of both hands. He’s a facilitator and does most of his damage using his vision, kind of like in the mold of his fellow countrymen currently on the Hornets — Vasilije Micić.

In his 13 outings in Adriatic League games, he averaged 18.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 0.9 assists, connecting on 52.4% of his overall shots and nailing just 28.2% behind the 3-point line. He’s not overly explosive, but has a knack for getting into the paint and finishing around the rim.

One concern: turnovers. He averaged 3.1 per game and that’s not going to consistently get it done on this side of the pond against the world’s best.


©2024 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus