(sabasports report)The 2024 NBA draft opened, and the Washington Wizards, with the No. 2 pick, selected Alexandre Sarl, a 19-year-old 2.13m star from France. The highly athletic Sal is expected to replace Kristaps Porzingis and Bradley Beal as the new cornerstone of the Wizards’ rebuilding, and is expected to grow into the next “Wenbanyama.”
The Washington Wizards had two stars in Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis last season, but the team had the second-lowest record in the league at 15-67, and they drew the No. 2 overall pick. The Wizards are still in a rebuilding phase, and Kristaps Porzingis and Bradley Beal haven’t shown the attributes to be the foundation of the franchise’s future, so they’re still looking for a better foundation.
Now the Wizards selected Alexandre Sarl, a 19-year-old rising star from France with the No. 2 pick, whose brother is Oklahoma City Thunder player Olivier Sarl. Sal is a 2.13m tall middle cone player with an arm span of 2.24m, but at only 98kg he is not strong enough.
Sall played in 27 games for the Perth Wildcats in the NBL last season, averaging 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.4 steals and 1.5 blocks in just 17.3 minutes while shooting 52 percent from the field, 29 percent from 3-point range and 71 percent from free throw range. It’s not hard to see that Sal’s numbers in the NBL are not too good, but as long as his playing time is not too much, the efficiency looks good.
The Washington Wizards hope that Sal can become the cornerstone of the team’s new reconstruction, expect him to complete the physical fitness as soon as possible, play more potential to fill the needs of the team’s front line.