Wild hypothetical if the Pistons land the #1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft
The Detroit Pistons take Alexandre Sarr with the #1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft
The closest thing there has been to a consensus in this draft is Alexandre Sarr, who currently plays for the Perth Wildcats. He’s been impressive in a good league and dominated the G-League Ignite. If you watch these highlights, you can see the vision.
Sarr is 7-foot-1, and is currently thought of as a defensive prospect, as he is a very good shot blocker and can switch on the perimeter. He also projects to have an outside shot, as he can knockdown 3-pointers, so even though he’s not a Victor Wembanyama level unicorn, he’s not a traditional center and plays more like a giant wing with a 7-foot-5 wingspan that he can use to affect shots all over the court.
Sarr is only 18, so he has plenty of room to improve, and he’ll need to, as we are talking about a guy who is only averaging nine points and four rebounds a game while playing 17 minutes. But he’s also getting just under a block and a half in that time, so the defense definitely projects.
dark. Related Story. 12 Stars who could be traded and the Pistons chance of landing one. 12 Stars who could be traded and the Pistons chance of landing one
When we see the impact Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are already having defensively, Sarr is an appealing option for a team that is terrible defensively and needs that anchor.
If the Pistons got a shot at him, would they see Sarr as a power forward who could play with Jalen Duren or would Duren suddenly become expendable?
As good as Duren has been, his defense is still very much a work in progress, as he can’t switch on the perimeter and doesn’t block many shots. Sarr projects as the better defender even though he lacks Duren’s strength and rebounding prowess.
Sarr is the type of big man who better fits the modern style, as he protects the rim and should eventually be able to spread the floor. Troy Weaver hasn't seemed to have caught up to this trend, so it's as likely he'd see Sarr as a complement to Duren, but this scenario could also make Duren trade bait.
If so, they might be able to use him to trade for a star wing who better fits their core and could make them competitive right away.