For Alexandre Sarr, soft-spoken works.
The 19-year-old center does not seek the spotlight. It’s subtle, but he doesn’t appear to want the limelight the way that, say, Victor Wembanyama accepted it last year. Wemby seemed to want the smoke that came with the outsized expectations placed on the most-hyped rookie since LeBron James. And when he started to live up to that massive burden in his rookie season in San Antonio, he didn’t seem all that surprised. It was more like, “Yeah, I do that, and I’ve been doing that for a while, and I’m gonna keep doing it. Watch.”
Sarr doesn’t seem to bring that level of noise with him. But he does have a clear vision for his immediate future in the NBA.
“I think it looks like being a part of a winning team in five years, having that established around me,” Sarr said on Paul George’s “Podcast P with Paul George” last month. “Individually, probably, just winning Rookie of the Year, getting All-Star appearances, making All-NBA teams, maybe (in the) fifth, fourth year, three years. Who knows?”
Sarr’s expectations dovetail with many around the Association. He will hear his name called early, possibly first overall, in Wednesday’s NBA draft. Whether that’s by the Atlanta Hawks, who currently have the first selection, or someone else including a team trading up, is still unclear. Which is well in keeping with what is likely to be a very opaque 2024 draft. Whether Sarr goes first, or second to the Washington Wizards, he won’t be on the board long. His offensive skill set belies that of a 7-1, 224-pound big man. His season playing for Perth in the Australian Basketball League, after playing for Overtime Elite in Atlanta the year before, had the kind of mouth-watering highlights at both ends of the floor that quickly made him someone around whom teams could see themselves building.
Sarr is far from a sure thing, though, befitting a potential No. 1 pick in this particular draft. His defensive potential is sky-high, but there are real questions about how soon, if at all, his offense approaches anything near those heights. His frame, at least currently, does not project to being able to hold up against the kind of pounding he’ll get in the paint from veteran NBA bigs. He is not generational, the way Wembanyama was hyped.
But, this year, quiet may be the way to go.
As you know, I view this series as the NBA complement to my colleague Bruce Feldman’s NFL Confidential, itself a complement to Dane Brugler’s NFL Beast. In the NBA space, I want this to augment Sam Vecenie’s annual, massive, excellent NBA Draft Guide. Sam is the best in the business at this, and has earned his opinions on all the prospects honestly. He knows more about these guys than I do. But we’re coming at the elephant from two different directions. Sam opines on these guys; I ask people for their opinions on these guys.
Also, of course, this is not a mock. Not my thing. That’s Vecenie’s lane. It’s also not an absolute rundown; I’ve asked about 200 possible players. You have to cut it off at some point, or I’d be writing even longer than I am! So there will be a few prospects not in this series who may well be drafted or wind up on teams next season. Mea culpa in advance.
Having said that, I don’t phone this in. I’ve spent the last couple of months in daily chatter with more than two dozen coaches, NBA executives, scouts and other personnel types who’ve all either seen or coached against this year’s top prospects in person. (I’ve found it’s hard to get a player’s own coach/coaches to not pull their evaluation punches when it comes to their own guys.) In exchange for anonymity, they tell me the truth, both good and bad, about what they actually think about the players.
We started with the guards Sunday. The wings were Monday. Today, we complete the trilogy, with the draft starting Wednesday evening in New York. Study up. There will be a quiz on Wednesday morning.
A potential SuperSarr
The top two big man prospects this year are Sarr and Connecticut sophomore center Donovan Clingan. The 20-year-old Clingan was central to each of UConn’s back-to-back national championships, first as the Huskies’ sixth man behind starter Adama Sanogo in 2023, then as the starting center this past season. He started slow with a right tendon injury in his foot keeping him out five games early in the season. But when he returned to the lineup for good in mid-January, he was a beast, shooting a ridiculous 64.3 percent from the floor the rest of the season, and blocking at least one shot in 22 of UConn’s final 23 games, averaging 2.7 blocks per game in that stretch. That included five blocks apiece in conference games against DePaul and Seton Hall, and eight (!) rejections against Northwestern in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Clingan wound up being named the Most Outstanding Player of the East Regionals, and made the All-Final Four team. He projects in the pros as a center in the mold of Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez, who can anchor a half-court defense with his ability to protect the rim and excel in drop coverage. He doesn’t shoot the ball from deep the way that Lopez does now, but that’s the point: Lopez didn’t shoot it like Lopez does now in the first half of his now 16-year NBA career. Lopez added the 3 after eight years in the NBA. Clingan can’t take that long, but let’s say it takes him half as long — four seasons — to shoot it from range consistently. A by-then 24-year-old, 7-2, 280-pounder who sets up your defense, and is a credible floor spacer? That would play for a lot of teams.
Alex Sarr | 7-0 big | 19 years old | Perth Wildcats
Eastern Conference executive No. 1: When Overtime started, I went there early. Let me see this circus. I remember going the first time to see the Thompson twins (Amen and Ausar) and I was like, what is this, actually? The twins were ferocious. This was two years before their draft. I remember saying, I don’t know about this smoke and lights and lasers and all that s—, but I was like, I tell you one thing, those two guys are freaking animals. They were guarding people and just punking kids. … It was like, man, they are not trying to be friends with any of these guys. I know they live with them, I know they go to school with them, but when these lights turn on, they’re trying to rip everybody’s heads off. So I was like, OK, I can respect this. This is not as much of a clown show as I thought it would be…
Fast-forward, all these kids defect. The Thompson twins get drafted, and everybody leaves. (Center Izan) Almansa goes to Ignite, Sarr goes (to Perth). (Rob) Dillingham goes to Kentucky. Every single one of these kids, they’re getting drafted. Every single one. I guess you can say they left OTE because they weren’t giving them what they needed. I guess you can say that. But you can’t tell me, with that track record, you can’t tell me there was no development going on. There’s no way you’re jumping all those kids, every single one of them is jumping like that. There was some foundation of player development, work ethic. Sarr, at the time, because he was there, people didn’t really know how to evaluate it. … But you see them out of that environment. Dillingham thrived. Almansa thrived. Sarr thrived. Every single one of them. Tyler Smith, from Ignite, he thrived.
So, I’m not shocked at his jump, especially in a league like Australia. That’s a great league if you have some level of maturity, and you’re talented, and athletic. There’s a level of athleticism that that league just lacks. So if you go down there and you’re really quick and can handle the ball and do a bunch of s— like LaMelo (Ball), you’re going to pop. None of them White Australian guards can guard you, and there’s only so many other Americans on the team. You’re going to look good and do well. And he went to a good program. Perth’s a great program. They’ve had a bunch of NBA guys pass through that program.
Eastern Conference executive No. 2: I don’t totally dislike him, but I wouldn’t take him at No. 1. I don’t see a lot of offensive skill. It’s limited. I don’t see a tenacious rebounder. If he was a tenacious rebounder or if he showed good offensive skills, then I’d say OK. But I don’t see tenacious rebounding and offensive skills. I don’t see bad skills. I went to Vegas when they played Ignite. He wasn’t bad; pretty good actually. But they played the second day, and the kid didn’t show up. Then he goes to Australia and does decently well, but he didn’t blow them away, either. I’ve got some other guys that I’d bet on before I bet on him.
The timing of this being a very, very down draft, in a normal circumstance, he would have taken the same jump; it’s just that that jump would have put him at 10 (in the first round). In a normal draft, he’d be being discussed at six through 10. Those kids are really not built to go No. 1. Neither of them, (Zaccharie) Risacher or Sarr. And one of them, unfortunately, might get that target on their back, especially falling after Wembanyama and Chet (Holmgren). If you could take the edge off and those guys could go four, that would be unbelievable for them. But because there’s really nobody to put in front of them, somebody’s going to take them one or two, and at at the latest, three.
Eastern Conference executive No. 1:This draft, it’s almost like a perfect storm to set him up to go a little too high. It’s just a little too big of a jump. If you know that kid’s background, he’s not that type of kid. He wants to present as competitive, he wants to present as somebody not afraid of it. But he does not want to carry that No. 1 pick s— on his back. He just doesn’t. He’s never been like that. All the French junior national teams, he’s always been a complementary, talented player. He’s always been a talent, but he’s always been a complementary player. He’s never been the dog, he’s never been the alpha of his generation.
Eastern Conference executive No. 3: He’s more bouncy, he’s more athletic than Jaren Jackson, to me. Jaren Jackson is more long than he is athletic. But in that category.
Donovan Clingan | 7-2 center | 20 years old | Connecticut
Western Conference scout: Brook Lopez never left the paint for the first eight, nine years of his career. This guy will do it sooner. His shooting stroke’s pretty good. when you went to practice at UConn and he was f—ing around, you were like, ‘Oh, his stroke looks OK.’ I was always miffed that he didn’t shoot free throws better, because his stroke is pretty good. A lot of that is mental. I think he’s ahead of the curve when it comes to shooting, as opposed to those other guys. I don’t know until he does it. I like his mechanics. I think he’s rending in the right direction. But until you do it … and you have to have a coach that allows that. So he has to prove it to him. I remember watching Al Horford. After every practice, he shot 3s. Every day, that’s what he did. Eventually, and certainly now, he’s pretty f—ing confident shooting that ball. Clingan’s a little ahead of those guys. He’s not vertical, but he’s pretty good laterally. He’s going to go in the top five.
College assistant coach No. 1 (his team played UConn): Because there’s such a lack of true post presence in the NBA, outside of Joker (Nikola Jokić), there’s not a lot of teams that are throwing the ball into the post centers to let them wheel and deal. … so for Clingan, he didn’t get the opportunity to do this a ton. But I always come out to watch guys shoot before the game. I was watching him shoot 3s before a game, when it was just him and a couple of centers warming up. And his stroke is fine. He’s going to be able to develop, I think, into a serviceable catch-and-shoot, pick-and-pop top of the key 3-point shooter. I’m not saying he’s going to be Brook Lopez last year, but Brook Lopez wasn’t a 3-point shooter at the beginning of his career. And Clingan is massive. In the drop, he’s a monster. He’s smart. He has a great knack of being able to absorb the ball, and not let the roller get behind him. That’s something a lot of centers struggle with. And if you do get behind him, he’s 7-2 and he’s disrupting passes. He’s tremendous. He runs well. He slides well. He’s not a plodder by any means. I think he’s the best pro on that team. I would take him before (UConn teammate Stephon) Castle.
Eastern Conference scout: He has real size. The only issue potentially is, can he stay healthy?
A big riser up draft boards is Purdue’s Zach Edey, who led the Boilermakers to the national championship game, and not only acquitted himself well, but gave Clingan the business, scoring 37 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Clingan’s likely going higher in the draft because of his defensive chops, but Edey has really impressed NBA people over the last year. He tested well at the combine, with anthropomorphic numbers through the roof: a 9-foot-7 standing reach and a 7-foot, 10.75-inch wingspan. Teams are increasingly comfortable seeing a role for the two-time Associated Press national Player of the Year in the NBA.
Zach Edey | 7-4 center | 22 years old | Purdue
College assistant coach No. 2 (his team played Purdue):I love that kid. The only thing I question is his lateral quickness, and what he does in screen-roll. You can get around him. Only plays drop and you can get around him. He’s been protected for two years. He got every call you can imagine. And he’s elbowing you in the face, and the foul’s on you. But offensively? He’s a load. If he gets one foot anywhere near the lane, he’s almost impossible to stop. He’s got great touch if he gets the ball anywhere near where he wants to be. They’ve worked really hard with him on keeping the ball high and shooting that jump shot.
Our guys feel, why wouldn’t a team take this kid, let him be your backup center, and let him play 12 minutes a game? If he plays 12 minutes, he’ll average 10. He’s not a 3-point shooter. He’s not going to shoot outside the lane. But he’s a very, very good player. They did a remarkable job coaching. Any interaction I’ve had with him has been awesome. (Brandon) Brantley got Assistant Coach of the Year in the Big 10 because of his work (with Edey). They took a raw kid from Toronto and made him two-time Big 10 Player of the Year. He can score on anybody in the paint. He’s got legit post moves.
College assistant coach No. 3 (his team played Purdue): He’s dominant. He was a presence in college. Will he be able to do the same at the next level? I really don’t know. Will he be able to guard pick and roll? I would think he would not be a starter in that league. Probably will be better with second-line guys. You have to do some type of scheme. From an analytical perspective, will that make sense? I doubt he’s going to shoot 60, 70 percent from the floor. Lateral quickness, he tries. But we put him in pick-and-roll situations. Definitely can’t switch. But he’s intriguing. I don’t know if he’ll be dominant enough to stay on the floor at the offensive end. He is a physical presence out there. It’s not like he’s avoiding contact. He likes contact. The difference between him and Clingan is just that Clingan is a better athlete: more mobile, pick and rolls, it’s night and day. I think guys liked playing with (Edey) even though he was the guy.
Western Conference executive No. 1: The one thing about Edey is, if you give him the ball, he’s gonna get you some buckets. … Rudy (Gobert) never dropped 35 points in a national championship game against another first-round pick. When I first saw him, I thought ‘backup.’ But he really came on. Now, admittedly you’re going to have to have a coach that really wants him. But if he’s your third- or fourth-best player offensively, you’re pretty good.
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The big man group drops some after that, but there are some centers who have flashed intrigue: Baylor freshman Yves Missi, who made both the Big 12’s All-Freshman and All-Defense teams; Indiana’s Kel’el Ware, who played a single season at Bloomington after transferring from Oregon, and was an all-Big 10 and all-Defensive team selection for the Hoosiers; Duke’s Kyle Filipowski, a consensus all-American and two-time all-ACC honoree; Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro, who may or may not stick in the pros, but has a Plan B if not, already having earned his BA in Finance and a Masters’ in Business Administration; UCLA sophomore Adem Bona, the Pac-12’s last (sniff) Defensive Player of the Year and an all-Pac 12 team honoree; Ulrich Chomche, a graduate of the NBA’s Academy Africa program, and whose journey to the draft is remarkable and inspiring; Oregon senior N’Faly Dante, a two-time All-Pac 12 selection, and Clemson senior P.J. Hall, who averaged 18.3 points and 6.4 rebounds last season in Clemson’s unexpected drive to the Elite Eight.
Yves Missi | 6-11 big | 20 years old | Baylor
Eastern Conference executive No. 3: From a good family in Nigeria. Both parents were around the game. His brother played at Harvard. … He’s been around the game; his skill level just isn’t high. But his motor is off the charts, and supposedly a great kid. You’re hoping he turns into a Clint Capela. He’s not going to have an offensive game. His shot mechanics are not good at all. But he’s bouncy, high motor.
College assistant coach No. 4 (his team played Baylor): Monster. We never even talked about his shot blocking. We didn’t want to shoot layups. Then we started missing them. He’s just a presence down there. The length, the bounce, then he’d fake a DHO (dribble handoff) and go dunk it. There’s not a lot of guys his size doing that stuff. I bet he’s got a lot of untapped potential offensively. I was really impressed with him. He impacted the game at the defensive end a ton, and on offense he was able to convert some stuff. Strong right-handed guy. They would give him touches at 15, live ball option, where he could face up, drive it. Not a lot of straight posts, because he’s not that strong. But big lob threat.
Eastern Conference scout: He has the tools and he has an interesting story. I think he has a chance to be really good. It’s just going to be right time, right place, and how hungry he is. He’s better than what we’ve seen. He’s got a chance to be a good shooter. He’s shown more offensive skills at this stage than I can remember Capela (doing), for sure. He can DHO, he makes free throws, he can make a pass. My concern with him is how well he rebounds, and consistency. Some of that is going to be strength development. If you’re asking me, I’d take him after Clingan among the bigs.
Kel’el Ware | 20 years old | 7-0 big | Indiana
College assistant coach No. 2 (his team played Indiana): He made a real believer out of us. I know he played at Oregon and they had (N’Faly) Dante at Oregon. I did not know him very well at all. I’ve never seen a kid, last year, improve more during a season than he did. He was their go-to guy near the end of the year. A little unique in that he’s an elite defender, shot blocker, runs the floor like a deer. And can make a few shots. … They didn’t have any guards. They tried different coverages with him defensively. He’s not well-built, but he’s a slender 7 foot. I’m not saying he’s Dereck Lively, but he’s in that mold. He had a hell of a year. They didn’t make the NCAAs but they had a nice run at the end of the year, and he was the reason why. Not a low post guy, but he’ll score on rolls. High jumper.
College assistant coach No. 3 (his team played Indiana): Tremendous upside, with his length and his versatility. I don’t look at him as being a physical or mentally tough kid, to be honest with you. But the talent speaks for himself. (Indiana coach Mike Woodson) had him more around the basket than he was at Oregon, which I think helped him. At Oregon, he was just running around the perimeter. He’s really long, so he can impact games at both ends. Rim protector. When will that be? I don’t know. Nice touch for someone his size. I don’t know about the NBA line. Definitely needs to get stronger, for sure. Wasn’t awful around the basket. He wasn’t bad with his back to the basket. With his length, he was comfortable shooting over both shoulders. Completely different from someone like Lively. He will have an offensive game.
Kyle Filipowski | 6-11 big | 20 years old | Duke
College head coach No. 1 (his team played Duke): I think he’s a good player. My big thing for him, for that league, is: What position? Where he struggled this year was when he played against bigger guys – not necessarily height, but guys who had the physicality to stand up to him. He didn’t have Lively this year so he wound up playing the five. Offensively, he can shoot it, he can put it on the floor, and I was really impressed with his passing this year. He showed that. But the defensive part is the part that would concern me. One of them dudes is gonna knock the s— out of him, and what is he gonna do then? He posted against smaller guys. They faced him. They picked and popped. He is really skilled offensively.
I think he’s more skilled than people give him credit for. I thought he really passed well. When he went to the post he knew he was gonna get doubled. He did a really good job from the mid-post. He’s legit 7 feet. You would say he’s a space five. Nobody really posts up more, but the constant screening. They played him in drop, they tried to switch him at times. He won’t have to play as many minutes and won’t have the responsibility. He’d get down and try to guard guards. He’s not a good rim protector. Part of it was they couldn’t afford for him to foul. But I saw him in (high school) a bunch, too. That wasn’t something he really did. I thought everything about him, he wanted to be finesse. Skill and finesse.
College assistant coach No. 5 (his team played Duke): Poor man’s Naz Reid. He doesn’t shoot it like that. And I don’t know how tough he is. I think he’s a work in progress. He’s skilled enough, and (with) the size, somebody’s going to take a chance. But you have to be patient with him. I don’t know if he can slide his feet at the three. He wants to play facing the basket. He wants to be a Dirk (Nowitzki)-type dude.
College assistant coach No. 6 (his team played Duke):Chet (Holmgren) used his size a little better. He was a shot blocker and a shot maker. I expected ‘Phil’ to impact the game more. He didn’t impact the game as much as I thought he would. Just being honest and blunt, he’s just not as good as Chet. … It’s easy to say after the fact. But how much did he really impact winning with other stuff, other than just being a skilled big who intrigues you? Chet could dominate a game offensively, defensively, blocking shots. We weren’t worried about (Filipowski). He’s a talented kid, but I just don’t think he was as dominating on both ends as Chet was and some of the other kids that came out of (Duke). ACC tournament, they didn’t get past N.C. State. … Can he guard bigs? Is he a five? He ain’t guarding today’s fours. He ain’t guarding (Anthony Davis) down there. Against a skilled four, he ain’t blocking shots, he ain’t following them to the rim. I don’t know what position he is.
Oso Ighodaro | 6-10 big | 21 years old | Marquette
College assistant coach No. 1 (his team played Marquette): He’s not very big. He might be 6-9-ish, maybe. But he and (Tyler) Kolek were incredible, because Oso can really handle and pass and create at the five spot, incredibly athletic, and really, really good defensively. He didn’t shoot at all outside of five, 10 feet. He had that floater he was shoot in the paint off of dribble handoff keeps. So, he’s a guy, I hope I’m wrong, was a great college player, had a really good team, the shooting around him, and an incredible playmaking and creative guard like Tyler Kolek. But I just don’t quite know how he will translate as a five man at the next level. Because he’s small. And he doesn’t shoot it. If he was a 3-point shooter, with his playmaking ability, and his athleticism, and his defense, then I would say, no doubt about it. But his shooting is worrisome to me at the next level. There’s a place for him in the league, because he is talented. I just don’t know how you become successful with him in the game, offensively. If he’s in the game, I’m in perpetual drop (coverage) at all times.
College assistant coach No. 7 (his team played Marquette): He got better and better every year. That’s what I look at with guys like him who are kind of borderline. He totally took off. Pick and pop, short roll. He’s not a shooter, great shooter, but man, can he pass. He’s an elite passer for a guy that size. Elite. And he’s used to playing in ball screens, because that’s what they do at Marquette. That’s the game: isos, ball screens, reads.
Eastern Conference executive No. 4: Great kid. He’s got good skills. But he can’t shoot to save his life. Some of our other guys like him, but I don’t see him for us. He’s really bright. The kid might be too bright, to be honest. He’s not the toughest cat, either. Personality-wise, there’s some similarities with Jarrett (Allen), but Jarrett’s a better player, though. This kid won’t post up. He won’t face up and look to shoot. It’s always put the ball on the floor, and shoot a floater or pass it. And he’s not the greatest rebounder. I don’t know. He could end up being a player.
Adem Bona | 6-8 big | 21 years old | UCLA
Western Conference scout: I thought he helped himself in Chicago. He definitely helped himself showing his athleticism. His athleticism really jumps off the page. It’s close to elite. It really is. Maybe semi-elite, but it’s elite. It really helped him in Chicago, just in his rebounding, his rim protection and his shot blocking, catching lobs. He was very active, and he was very impressive. … everybody kind of sees him as an undersized five, but he could potentially, with work, develop into being maybe something of a stretch four, but more of a four than five. He’s a modern big, the type that doesn’t require the ball, pick and roll, he can catch lobs, he’s going to protect the rim, use his athleticism to affect the game.
Ulrich Chomche | 6-11 big | 18 years old | NBA Academy Africa
Eastern Conference executive No. 3:Extremely, extremely raw. Phenom athlete. Has the size and speed. Really good kid. His story’s pretty remarkable, coming from the NBA Academy. The coach over there saw him and asked him if he wanted to come to practice. His grandmother and mother wouldn’t let him. But they finally did. But he’s just super, super raw. Really has no idea what he’s doing out there. He’s a good kid, but he’s a project. You’re taking him knowing it’s going to be a long-term plan, and you’re hoping he develops.
Eastern Conference scout: You get into the Fran Fraschilla quote. I don’t think he’s two years away, but he’s a year away, like a lot of guys in the draft. He kind of got undervalued because everyone fell in love with (Duke commit Khaman) Maluach, but Chomche has some real perimeter potential that’s interesting at his size. He hasn’t been taught, and hasn’t played enough with good guards. That’s the biggest problem they have there, is that they don’t have good guards. They’re teaching him things. I saw him at Hoop Summit. You see him going, I’m supposed to go here and post up, but there’s nobody there. Then he goes to the front of the rim and tries to post up there. It’s one of those things where, when you play more and play more, they figure it out. If you could pick him up in the 30 to 40 range, I think that’s a pretty good get. He can’t be a guy who plays in the G League, because he’s not going to get better there. He has to go to a team with a veteran big that he can learn from. If he went to, like, Philly, and he played with Paul (Reed) and Joel (Embiid), or go to Boston and play with Al (Horford) and learn.
N’Faly Dante | 6-10 big | 22 years old | Oregon
Western Conference scout:I saw him play in the Pac 12 finals, and he just dominated the game. I thought he had really, really made strides. (But) I’m kind of lukewarm on him. Another one who fits today’s modern big. … I think he gets drafted. I wish he had a little bit more in the motor. He’s not as active as Lively, but he does a lot of similar things.
P.J. Hall | 6-8 big | 22 years old | Clemson
College head coach No. 2 (his team played Clemson): Idon’t like him; I love him. I think he’s a steal. I think he’s a f—ing monster. He is so f—ing tough and physical. I was so glad he left. He can score around the basket, but PJ’s shown the ability to shoot the 3. If he can stay away from injury, he got Clemson in the Elite Eight, guys. I just think there’s value in a guy like him that’s well-coached, and helped his team win more than they ever won. He’s mean – not in a dirty way. He’s competitive. Wherever he lands, I think he’s going to be pretty good.
College head coach No. 3 (his team played Clemson):I think he can carve his niche in the league. He shoots it well enough and he rebounds well enough. The thing for him is being consistently able to guard defensively. The defensive part of the ball ito ball screens and s— like that, that’s what’s going to be important for him. He’s like a Luka Garza-type. I think he’s got better feet, but that’s (also) going to be the challenge for him. He can get a rebound; he can get a putback. I don’t think he’s bad. The thing that’s going to matter for him is the defensive end.
(Photo of Alexandre Sarr: Emily Barker / Getty Images)
For Alexandre Sarr, soft-spoken works.
The 19-year-old center does not seek the spotlight. It’s subtle, but he doesn’t appear to want the limelight the way that, say, Victor Wembanyama accepted it last year. Wemby seemed to want the smoke that came with the outsized expectations placed on the most-hyped rookie since LeBron James. And when he started to live up to that massive burden in his rookie season in San Antonio, he didn’t seem all that surprised. It was more like, “Yeah, I do that, and I’ve been doing that for a while, and I’m gonna keep doing it. Watch.”
Sarr doesn’t seem to bring that level of noise with him. But he does have a clear vision for his immediate future in the NBA.
“I think it looks like being a part of a winning team in five years, having that established around me,” Sarr said on Paul George’s “Podcast P with Paul George” last month. “Individually, probably, just winning Rookie of the Year, getting All-Star appearances, making All-NBA teams, maybe (in the) fifth, fourth year, three years. Who knows?”
Sarr’s expectations dovetail with many around the Association. He will hear his name called early, possibly first overall, in Wednesday’s NBA draft. Whether that’s by the Atlanta Hawks, who currently have the first selection, or someone else including a team trading up, is still unclear. Which is well in keeping with what is likely to be a very opaque 2024 draft. Whether Sarr goes first, or second to the Washington Wizards, he won’t be on the board long. His offensive skill set belies that of a 7-1, 224-pound big man. His season playing for Perth in the Australian Basketball League, after playing for Overtime Elite in Atlanta the year before, had the kind of mouth-watering highlights at both ends of the floor that quickly made him someone around whom teams could see themselves building.
Sarr is far from a sure thing, though, befitting a potential No. 1 pick in this particular draft. His defensive potential is sky-high, but there are real questions about how soon, if at all, his offense approaches anything near those heights. His frame, at least currently, does not project to being able to hold up against the kind of pounding he’ll get in the paint from veteran NBA bigs. He is not generational, the way Wembanyama was hyped.
But, this year, quiet may be the way to go.
As you know, I view this series as the NBA complement to my colleague Bruce Feldman’s NFL Confidential, itself a complement to Dane Brugler’s NFL Beast. In the NBA space, I want this to augment Sam Vecenie’s annual, massive, excellent NBA Draft Guide. Sam is the best in the business at this, and has earned his opinions on all the prospects honestly. He knows more about these guys than I do. But we’re coming at the elephant from two different directions. Sam opines on these guys; I ask people for their opinions on these guys.
Also, of course, this is not a mock. Not my thing. That’s Vecenie’s lane. It’s also not an absolute rundown; I’ve asked about 200 possible players. You have to cut it off at some point, or I’d be writing even longer than I am! So there will be a few prospects not in this series who may well be drafted or wind up on teams next season. Mea culpa in advance.
Having said that, I don’t phone this in. I’ve spent the last couple of months in daily chatter with more than two dozen coaches, NBA executives, scouts and other personnel types who’ve all either seen or coached against this year’s top prospects in person. (I’ve found it’s hard to get a player’s own coach/coaches to not pull their evaluation punches when it comes to their own guys.) In exchange for anonymity, they tell me the truth, both good and bad, about what they actually think about the players.
We started with the guards Sunday. The wings were Monday. Today, we complete the trilogy, with the draft starting Wednesday evening in New York. Study up. There will be a quiz on Wednesday morning.
A potential SuperSarr
The top two big man prospects this year are Sarr and Connecticut sophomore center Donovan Clingan. The 20-year-old Clingan was central to each of UConn’s back-to-back national championships, first as the Huskies’ sixth man behind starter Adama Sanogo in 2023, then as the starting center this past season. He started slow with a right tendon injury in his foot keeping him out five games early in the season. But when he returned to the lineup for good in mid-January, he was a beast, shooting a ridiculous 64.3 percent from the floor the rest of the season, and blocking at least one shot in 22 of UConn’s final 23 games, averaging 2.7 blocks per game in that stretch. That included five blocks apiece in conference games against DePaul and Seton Hall, and eight (!) rejections against Northwestern in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Clingan wound up being named the Most Outstanding Player of the East Regionals, and made the All-Final Four team. He projects in the pros as a center in the mold of Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez, who can anchor a half-court defense with his ability to protect the rim and excel in drop coverage. He doesn’t shoot the ball from deep the way that Lopez does now, but that’s the point: Lopez didn’t shoot it like Lopez does now in the first half of his now 16-year NBA career. Lopez added the 3 after eight years in the NBA. Clingan can’t take that long, but let’s say it takes him half as long — four seasons — to shoot it from range consistently. A by-then 24-year-old, 7-2, 280-pounder who sets up your defense, and is a credible floor spacer? That would play for a lot of teams.
Alex Sarr | 7-0 big | 19 years old | Perth Wildcats
Eastern Conference executive No. 1: When Overtime started, I went there early. Let me see this circus. I remember going the first time to see the Thompson twins (Amen and Ausar) and I was like, what is this, actually? The twins were ferocious. This was two years before their draft. I remember saying, I don’t know about this smoke and lights and lasers and all that s—, but I was like, I tell you one thing, those two guys are freaking animals. They were guarding people and just punking kids. … It was like, man, they are not trying to be friends with any of these guys. I know they live with them, I know they go to school with them, but when these lights turn on, they’re trying to rip everybody’s heads off. So I was like, OK, I can respect this. This is not as much of a clown show as I thought it would be…
Fast-forward, all these kids defect. The Thompson twins get drafted, and everybody leaves. (Center Izan) Almansa goes to Ignite, Sarr goes (to Perth). (Rob) Dillingham goes to Kentucky. Every single one of these kids, they’re getting drafted. Every single one. I guess you can say they left OTE because they weren’t giving them what they needed. I guess you can say that. But you can’t tell me, with that track record, you can’t tell me there was no development going on. There’s no way you’re jumping all those kids, every single one of them is jumping like that. There was some foundation of player development, work ethic. Sarr, at the time, because he was there, people didn’t really know how to evaluate it. … But you see them out of that environment. Dillingham thrived. Almansa thrived. Sarr thrived. Every single one of them. Tyler Smith, from Ignite, he thrived.
So, I’m not shocked at his jump, especially in a league like Australia. That’s a great league if you have some level of maturity, and you’re talented, and athletic. There’s a level of athleticism that that league just lacks. So if you go down there and you’re really quick and can handle the ball and do a bunch of s— like LaMelo (Ball), you’re going to pop. None of them White Australian guards can guard you, and there’s only so many other Americans on the team. You’re going to look good and do well. And he went to a good program. Perth’s a great program. They’ve had a bunch of NBA guys pass through that program.
Eastern Conference executive No. 2: I don’t totally dislike him, but I wouldn’t take him at No. 1. I don’t see a lot of offensive skill. It’s limited. I don’t see a tenacious rebounder. If he was a tenacious rebounder or if he showed good offensive skills, then I’d say OK. But I don’t see tenacious rebounding and offensive skills. I don’t see bad skills. I went to Vegas when they played Ignite. He wasn’t bad; pretty good actually. But they played the second day, and the kid didn’t show up. Then he goes to Australia and does decently well, but he didn’t blow them away, either. I’ve got some other guys that I’d bet on before I bet on him.
The timing of this being a very, very down draft, in a normal circumstance, he would have taken the same jump; it’s just that that jump would have put him at 10 (in the first round). In a normal draft, he’d be being discussed at six through 10. Those kids are really not built to go No. 1. Neither of them, (Zaccharie) Risacher or Sarr. And one of them, unfortunately, might get that target on their back, especially falling after Wembanyama and Chet (Holmgren). If you could take the edge off and those guys could go four, that would be unbelievable for them. But because there’s really nobody to put in front of them, somebody’s going to take them one or two, and at at the latest, three.
Eastern Conference executive No. 1:This draft, it’s almost like a perfect storm to set him up to go a little too high. It’s just a little too big of a jump. If you know that kid’s background, he’s not that type of kid. He wants to present as competitive, he wants to present as somebody not afraid of it. But he does not want to carry that No. 1 pick s— on his back. He just doesn’t. He’s never been like that. All the French junior national teams, he’s always been a complementary, talented player. He’s always been a talent, but he’s always been a complementary player. He’s never been the dog, he’s never been the alpha of his generation.
Eastern Conference executive No. 3: He’s more bouncy, he’s more athletic than Jaren Jackson, to me. Jaren Jackson is more long than he is athletic. But in that category.
Donovan Clingan | 7-2 center | 20 years old | Connecticut
Western Conference scout: Brook Lopez never left the paint for the first eight, nine years of his career. This guy will do it sooner. His shooting stroke’s pretty good. when you went to practice at UConn and he was f—ing around, you were like, ‘Oh, his stroke looks OK.’ I was always miffed that he didn’t shoot free throws better, because his stroke is pretty good. A lot of that is mental. I think he’s ahead of the curve when it comes to shooting, as opposed to those other guys. I don’t know until he does it. I like his mechanics. I think he’s rending in the right direction. But until you do it … and you have to have a coach that allows that. So he has to prove it to him. I remember watching Al Horford. After every practice, he shot 3s. Every day, that’s what he did. Eventually, and certainly now, he’s pretty f—ing confident shooting that ball. Clingan’s a little ahead of those guys. He’s not vertical, but he’s pretty good laterally. He’s going to go in the top five.
College assistant coach No. 1 (his team played UConn): Because there’s such a lack of true post presence in the NBA, outside of Joker (Nikola Jokić), there’s not a lot of teams that are throwing the ball into the post centers to let them wheel and deal. … so for Clingan, he didn’t get the opportunity to do this a ton. But I always come out to watch guys shoot before the game. I was watching him shoot 3s before a game, when it was just him and a couple of centers warming up. And his stroke is fine. He’s going to be able to develop, I think, into a serviceable catch-and-shoot, pick-and-pop top of the key 3-point shooter. I’m not saying he’s going to be Brook Lopez last year, but Brook Lopez wasn’t a 3-point shooter at the beginning of his career. And Clingan is massive. In the drop, he’s a monster. He’s smart. He has a great knack of being able to absorb the ball, and not let the roller get behind him. That’s something a lot of centers struggle with. And if you do get behind him, he’s 7-2 and he’s disrupting passes. He’s tremendous. He runs well. He slides well. He’s not a plodder by any means. I think he’s the best pro on that team. I would take him before (UConn teammate Stephon) Castle.
Eastern Conference scout: He has real size. The only issue potentially is, can he stay healthy?
A big riser up draft boards is Purdue’s Zach Edey, who led the Boilermakers to the national championship game, and not only acquitted himself well, but gave Clingan the business, scoring 37 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Clingan’s likely going higher in the draft because of his defensive chops, but Edey has really impressed NBA people over the last year. He tested well at the combine, with anthropomorphic numbers through the roof: a 9-foot-7 standing reach and a 7-foot, 10.75-inch wingspan. Teams are increasingly comfortable seeing a role for the two-time Associated Press national Player of the Year in the NBA.
Zach Edey | 7-4 center | 22 years old | Purdue
College assistant coach No. 2 (his team played Purdue):I love that kid. The only thing I question is his lateral quickness, and what he does in screen-roll. You can get around him. Only plays drop and you can get around him. He’s been protected for two years. He got every call you can imagine. And he’s elbowing you in the face, and the foul’s on you. But offensively? He’s a load. If he gets one foot anywhere near the lane, he’s almost impossible to stop. He’s got great touch if he gets the ball anywhere near where he wants to be. They’ve worked really hard with him on keeping the ball high and shooting that jump shot.
Our guys feel, why wouldn’t a team take this kid, let him be your backup center, and let him play 12 minutes a game? If he plays 12 minutes, he’ll average 10. He’s not a 3-point shooter. He’s not going to shoot outside the lane. But he’s a very, very good player. They did a remarkable job coaching. Any interaction I’ve had with him has been awesome. (Brandon) Brantley got Assistant Coach of the Year in the Big 10 because of his work (with Edey). They took a raw kid from Toronto and made him two-time Big 10 Player of the Year. He can score on anybody in the paint. He’s got legit post moves.
College assistant coach No. 3 (his team played Purdue): He’s dominant. He was a presence in college. Will he be able to do the same at the next level? I really don’t know. Will he be able to guard pick and roll? I would think he would not be a starter in that league. Probably will be better with second-line guys. You have to do some type of scheme. From an analytical perspective, will that make sense? I doubt he’s going to shoot 60, 70 percent from the floor. Lateral quickness, he tries. But we put him in pick-and-roll situations. Definitely can’t switch. But he’s intriguing. I don’t know if he’ll be dominant enough to stay on the floor at the offensive end. He is a physical presence out there. It’s not like he’s avoiding contact. He likes contact. The difference between him and Clingan is just that Clingan is a better athlete: more mobile, pick and rolls, it’s night and day. I think guys liked playing with (Edey) even though he was the guy.
Western Conference executive No. 1: The one thing about Edey is, if you give him the ball, he’s gonna get you some buckets. … Rudy (Gobert) never dropped 35 points in a national championship game against another first-round pick. When I first saw him, I thought ‘backup.’ But he really came on. Now, admittedly you’re going to have to have a coach that really wants him. But if he’s your third- or fourth-best player offensively, you’re pretty good.
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The big man group drops some after that, but there are some centers who have flashed intrigue: Baylor freshman Yves Missi, who made both the Big 12’s All-Freshman and All-Defense teams; Indiana’s Kel’el Ware, who played a single season at Bloomington after transferring from Oregon, and was an all-Big 10 and all-Defensive team selection for the Hoosiers; Duke’s Kyle Filipowski, a consensus all-American and two-time all-ACC honoree; Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro, who may or may not stick in the pros, but has a Plan B if not, already having earned his BA in Finance and a Masters’ in Business Administration; UCLA sophomore Adem Bona, the Pac-12’s last (sniff) Defensive Player of the Year and an all-Pac 12 team honoree; Ulrich Chomche, a graduate of the NBA’s Academy Africa program, and whose journey to the draft is remarkable and inspiring; Oregon senior N’Faly Dante, a two-time All-Pac 12 selection, and Clemson senior P.J. Hall, who averaged 18.3 points and 6.4 rebounds last season in Clemson’s unexpected drive to the Elite Eight.
Yves Missi | 6-11 big | 20 years old | Baylor
Eastern Conference executive No. 3: From a good family in Nigeria. Both parents were around the game. His brother played at Harvard. … He’s been around the game; his skill level just isn’t high. But his motor is off the charts, and supposedly a great kid. You’re hoping he turns into a Clint Capela. He’s not going to have an offensive game. His shot mechanics are not good at all. But he’s bouncy, high motor.
College assistant coach No. 4 (his team played Baylor): Monster. We never even talked about his shot blocking. We didn’t want to shoot layups. Then we started missing them. He’s just a presence down there. The length, the bounce, then he’d fake a DHO (dribble handoff) and go dunk it. There’s not a lot of guys his size doing that stuff. I bet he’s got a lot of untapped potential offensively. I was really impressed with him. He impacted the game at the defensive end a ton, and on offense he was able to convert some stuff. Strong right-handed guy. They would give him touches at 15, live ball option, where he could face up, drive it. Not a lot of straight posts, because he’s not that strong. But big lob threat.
Eastern Conference scout: He has the tools and he has an interesting story. I think he has a chance to be really good. It’s just going to be right time, right place, and how hungry he is. He’s better than what we’ve seen. He’s got a chance to be a good shooter. He’s shown more offensive skills at this stage than I can remember Capela (doing), for sure. He can DHO, he makes free throws, he can make a pass. My concern with him is how well he rebounds, and consistency. Some of that is going to be strength development. If you’re asking me, I’d take him after Clingan among the bigs.
Kel’el Ware | 20 years old | 7-0 big | Indiana
College assistant coach No. 2 (his team played Indiana): He made a real believer out of us. I know he played at Oregon and they had (N’Faly) Dante at Oregon. I did not know him very well at all. I’ve never seen a kid, last year, improve more during a season than he did. He was their go-to guy near the end of the year. A little unique in that he’s an elite defender, shot blocker, runs the floor like a deer. And can make a few shots. … They didn’t have any guards. They tried different coverages with him defensively. He’s not well-built, but he’s a slender 7 foot. I’m not saying he’s Dereck Lively, but he’s in that mold. He had a hell of a year. They didn’t make the NCAAs but they had a nice run at the end of the year, and he was the reason why. Not a low post guy, but he’ll score on rolls. High jumper.
College assistant coach No. 3 (his team played Indiana): Tremendous upside, with his length and his versatility. I don’t look at him as being a physical or mentally tough kid, to be honest with you. But the talent speaks for himself. (Indiana coach Mike Woodson) had him more around the basket than he was at Oregon, which I think helped him. At Oregon, he was just running around the perimeter. He’s really long, so he can impact games at both ends. Rim protector. When will that be? I don’t know. Nice touch for someone his size. I don’t know about the NBA line. Definitely needs to get stronger, for sure. Wasn’t awful around the basket. He wasn’t bad with his back to the basket. With his length, he was comfortable shooting over both shoulders. Completely different from someone like Lively. He will have an offensive game.
Kyle Filipowski | 6-11 big | 20 years old | Duke
College head coach No. 1 (his team played Duke): I think he’s a good player. My big thing for him, for that league, is: What position? Where he struggled this year was when he played against bigger guys – not necessarily height, but guys who had the physicality to stand up to him. He didn’t have Lively this year so he wound up playing the five. Offensively, he can shoot it, he can put it on the floor, and I was really impressed with his passing this year. He showed that. But the defensive part is the part that would concern me. One of them dudes is gonna knock the s— out of him, and what is he gonna do then? He posted against smaller guys. They faced him. They picked and popped. He is really skilled offensively.
I think he’s more skilled than people give him credit for. I thought he really passed well. When he went to the post he knew he was gonna get doubled. He did a really good job from the mid-post. He’s legit 7 feet. You would say he’s a space five. Nobody really posts up more, but the constant screening. They played him in drop, they tried to switch him at times. He won’t have to play as many minutes and won’t have the responsibility. He’d get down and try to guard guards. He’s not a good rim protector. Part of it was they couldn’t afford for him to foul. But I saw him in (high school) a bunch, too. That wasn’t something he really did. I thought everything about him, he wanted to be finesse. Skill and finesse.
College assistant coach No. 5 (his team played Duke): Poor man’s Naz Reid. He doesn’t shoot it like that. And I don’t know how tough he is. I think he’s a work in progress. He’s skilled enough, and (with) the size, somebody’s going to take a chance. But you have to be patient with him. I don’t know if he can slide his feet at the three. He wants to play facing the basket. He wants to be a Dirk (Nowitzki)-type dude.
College assistant coach No. 6 (his team played Duke):Chet (Holmgren) used his size a little better. He was a shot blocker and a shot maker. I expected ‘Phil’ to impact the game more. He didn’t impact the game as much as I thought he would. Just being honest and blunt, he’s just not as good as Chet. … It’s easy to say after the fact. But how much did he really impact winning with other stuff, other than just being a skilled big who intrigues you? Chet could dominate a game offensively, defensively, blocking shots. We weren’t worried about (Filipowski). He’s a talented kid, but I just don’t think he was as dominating on both ends as Chet was and some of the other kids that came out of (Duke). ACC tournament, they didn’t get past N.C. State. … Can he guard bigs? Is he a five? He ain’t guarding today’s fours. He ain’t guarding (Anthony Davis) down there. Against a skilled four, he ain’t blocking shots, he ain’t following them to the rim. I don’t know what position he is.
Oso Ighodaro | 6-10 big | 21 years old | Marquette
College assistant coach No. 1 (his team played Marquette): He’s not very big. He might be 6-9-ish, maybe. But he and (Tyler) Kolek were incredible, because Oso can really handle and pass and create at the five spot, incredibly athletic, and really, really good defensively. He didn’t shoot at all outside of five, 10 feet. He had that floater he was shoot in the paint off of dribble handoff keeps. So, he’s a guy, I hope I’m wrong, was a great college player, had a really good team, the shooting around him, and an incredible playmaking and creative guard like Tyler Kolek. But I just don’t quite know how he will translate as a five man at the next level. Because he’s small. And he doesn’t shoot it. If he was a 3-point shooter, with his playmaking ability, and his athleticism, and his defense, then I would say, no doubt about it. But his shooting is worrisome to me at the next level. There’s a place for him in the league, because he is talented. I just don’t know how you become successful with him in the game, offensively. If he’s in the game, I’m in perpetual drop (coverage) at all times.
College assistant coach No. 7 (his team played Marquette): He got better and better every year. That’s what I look at with guys like him who are kind of borderline. He totally took off. Pick and pop, short roll. He’s not a shooter, great shooter, but man, can he pass. He’s an elite passer for a guy that size. Elite. And he’s used to playing in ball screens, because that’s what they do at Marquette. That’s the game: isos, ball screens, reads.
Eastern Conference executive No. 4: Great kid. He’s got good skills. But he can’t shoot to save his life. Some of our other guys like him, but I don’t see him for us. He’s really bright. The kid might be too bright, to be honest. He’s not the toughest cat, either. Personality-wise, there’s some similarities with Jarrett (Allen), but Jarrett’s a better player, though. This kid won’t post up. He won’t face up and look to shoot. It’s always put the ball on the floor, and shoot a floater or pass it. And he’s not the greatest rebounder. I don’t know. He could end up being a player.
Adem Bona | 6-8 big | 21 years old | UCLA
Western Conference scout: I thought he helped himself in Chicago. He definitely helped himself showing his athleticism. His athleticism really jumps off the page. It’s close to elite. It really is. Maybe semi-elite, but it’s elite. It really helped him in Chicago, just in his rebounding, his rim protection and his shot blocking, catching lobs. He was very active, and he was very impressive. … everybody kind of sees him as an undersized five, but he could potentially, with work, develop into being maybe something of a stretch four, but more of a four than five. He’s a modern big, the type that doesn’t require the ball, pick and roll, he can catch lobs, he’s going to protect the rim, use his athleticism to affect the game.
Ulrich Chomche | 6-11 big | 18 years old | NBA Academy Africa
Eastern Conference executive No. 3:Extremely, extremely raw. Phenom athlete. Has the size and speed. Really good kid. His story’s pretty remarkable, coming from the NBA Academy. The coach over there saw him and asked him if he wanted to come to practice. His grandmother and mother wouldn’t let him. But they finally did. But he’s just super, super raw. Really has no idea what he’s doing out there. He’s a good kid, but he’s a project. You’re taking him knowing it’s going to be a long-term plan, and you’re hoping he develops.
Eastern Conference scout: You get into the Fran Fraschilla quote. I don’t think he’s two years away, but he’s a year away, like a lot of guys in the draft. He kind of got undervalued because everyone fell in love with (Duke commit Khaman) Maluach, but Chomche has some real perimeter potential that’s interesting at his size. He hasn’t been taught, and hasn’t played enough with good guards. That’s the biggest problem they have there, is that they don’t have good guards. They’re teaching him things. I saw him at Hoop Summit. You see him going, I’m supposed to go here and post up, but there’s nobody there. Then he goes to the front of the rim and tries to post up there. It’s one of those things where, when you play more and play more, they figure it out. If you could pick him up in the 30 to 40 range, I think that’s a pretty good get. He can’t be a guy who plays in the G League, because he’s not going to get better there. He has to go to a team with a veteran big that he can learn from. If he went to, like, Philly, and he played with Paul (Reed) and Joel (Embiid), or go to Boston and play with Al (Horford) and learn.
N’Faly Dante | 6-10 big | 22 years old | Oregon
Western Conference scout:I saw him play in the Pac 12 finals, and he just dominated the game. I thought he had really, really made strides. (But) I’m kind of lukewarm on him. Another one who fits today’s modern big. … I think he gets drafted. I wish he had a little bit more in the motor. He’s not as active as Lively, but he does a lot of similar things.
P.J. Hall | 6-8 big | 22 years old | Clemson
College head coach No. 2 (his team played Clemson): Idon’t like him; I love him. I think he’s a steal. I think he’s a f—ing monster. He is so f—ing tough and physical. I was so glad he left. He can score around the basket, but PJ’s shown the ability to shoot the 3. If he can stay away from injury, he got Clemson in the Elite Eight, guys. I just think there’s value in a guy like him that’s well-coached, and helped his team win more than they ever won. He’s mean – not in a dirty way. He’s competitive. Wherever he lands, I think he’s going to be pretty good.
College head coach No. 3 (his team played Clemson):I think he can carve his niche in the league. He shoots it well enough and he rebounds well enough. The thing for him is being consistently able to guard defensively. The defensive part of the ball ito ball screens and s— like that, that’s what’s going to be important for him. He’s like a Luka Garza-type. I think he’s got better feet, but that’s (also) going to be the challenge for him. He can get a rebound; he can get a putback. I don’t think he’s bad. The thing that’s going to matter for him is the defensive end.
(Photo of Alexandre Sarr: Emily Barker / Getty Images)
