The name that was the most popular among draft analysts for the Hawks to use the No. 1 pick on was French big man Alexandre Sarr, a 7'1 220 LBS forward who is projected to be a defensive force in the NBA. Sarr also seems to be the top choice amongst Hawks fans, but there is still plenty of debate over who is actually going to go No. 1. Sarr is certainly in contention for the top pick, but there are still three weeks to go until the Hawks are officially on the clock with the No. 1 pick.
There has also been a range of player comparisons for Sarr with the No. 1 pick, with Cleveland forward Evan Mobley a popular comp, but ESPN's Jeremy Woo made a very interesting comp today for the French prospect:
High end: Jaren Jackson Jr.
Low end: Nic Claxton
"The blueprint for Sarr's role at the next level is something like Jackson, who gives Memphis high-quality spacing and elite paint protection while toggling between power forward and center. Sarr has a long way to go as a shooter to get to Jackson's level, but that ceiling is within reach for him, with a huge, mobile frame at 7-foot-1 that makes him an excellent long-term prospect.
If he doesn't develop at that rate, Sarr could still be a solid contributor along the lines of Claxton, who has fashioned himself into a useful defensive-minded role after five seasons with the Nets but hasn't taken a major leap on the offensive end."
I think at the end of the day if Sarr turns out to be like either of those players, it would be a win for the Hawks, though if he turns out to be anything like Jackson Jr, it would raise the Hawks ceiling considerably.
Jackson Jr is one of the best defensive players in the NBA when he is healthy and was the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. He is also a two-time All-Defense selection (2022, 2023) and has led the NBA in blocked shots twice (2022, 2023). Having a player with that kind of ability who can also stretch the floor on offense would be huge for the Hawks, especially if they opt to keep Trae Young. A player with that kind of potential alongside Young, Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu could raise the Hawks ceiling considerably.
What if he turns out to be more like Claxton than Jackson Jr though? That would still provide a huge boost to the defense, but Claxton does not have much of an offensive game, besides being a rim-running threat. Spacing would be an issue if Sarr can't develop a reliable offensive game that includes shooting and being able to drive to the basket. Sarr has the talent to do that, but is his biggest question mark heading into the draft.
He would be an immediate impact defender with a ton of ability. That is the kind of player that the Hawks need on that end of the floor and he would give them a boost to their most important area of need.
If they do take Sarr, I do think that would expedite Clint Capela's exit from the Hawks, as I think Sarr is going to play center in the league (but he could play power forward). Atlanta would have a logjam at the position and if you take Sarr at No. 1, he needs to be playing plenty of minutes right away, not coming off of the bench. Capela was already a candidate to be traded due to him being on an expiring contract and his age. I think the biggest question would be if Sarr and Onyeka Okongwu could play together on the court. Okongwu has primarily been a center while with the Hawks and rarely shares the floor with another big man, though head coach Quin Snyder did try lineups with Capela and Okongwu on the floor together last year, though it was in limited amounts.
PerCleaning the Glass, Okongwu and Capela played only 279 possessions this season and had a point differential of +2.1 when they shared the court. The problem is this sample size is far too low and there is not enough evidence to say that Okongwu could play the four well.
If Sarr and Okongwu were to play together, there would be a massive question about floor spacing. Okongwu did show a willingness to take more three-pointers last season, but only attempted 69 of them and made 23 of them (33%). You can say that he would have taken more threes if he did not get injured, but his three-point shooting is still a big question mark. Combine that with Sarr's questions on the offensive end and ability to space the floor, that could be a sticky situation for Atlanta.
It is not just the fit of Okongwu and Sarr that would be the question though. Jalen Johnson showed huge leaps on offense this past season, including improvement in shooting the three. Johnson shot 28.8% on three's in 2022-2023, but improved that to 35.5% this season, going 71-200. Could there be another leap in his future? It would help in the event that Atlanta decided that they wanted to take Sarr and not trade away Okongwu.
The defensive fit would be very intriguing though with those three guys on the floor. Some of Atlanta's best lineups included Johnson and Okongwu, though it was a small sample size, but you have to wonder if there could be something there. If Johnson and Okongwu both showed steps toward spacing the floor, this could be a dangerous lineup for the future. The ability of Johnson, Okongwu, and Sarr to switch and guard multiple positions would be something that Atlanta has never had with Trae Young and would help hide his shortcomings on the defensive end.
His offensive game is the question mark. He is not a great shooter, and does not finish with contact, plus he has not been a very good screener so far, though that is a fixable trait. Playing with either Young or Murray would help him fit in on offense, but he still needs to make a lot of improvement on that end of the floor in order for him to hit his ceiling.
I like the fit of Sarr on the Hawks it is safe to say, but he is not a perfect prospect. It will be interesting to see what the Hawks front office thinks of his fit and ceiling on this team.
Three weeks until draft time.
