The matchup between Zaccharie Risacher, the number one pick in the 2024 NBA draft, and the number two pick, Alex Sarr, left plenty to be excited about for both Frenchmen.
Both players made their NBA Summer League debut on Friday in Las Vegas.
Sarr’s Wizards won 94-86, with the 7-foot-10 forward scoring 12 points (4-of-12 shooting), seven rebounds, four assists and four blocks. Three of those four blocks came in a span of about 20 seconds of playing time:
Even though Risacher was ahead of him, many considered Sarr to be the best talent in the draft. However, he did not want the Hawks to sign him and did everything he could to ensure he would get to Washington by refusing to work out with Atlanta.
The Wizards are hoping Sarr can be their defensive centerpiece and a dangerous pick-and-pop threat on offense, much like Rookie of the Year runner-up Chet Holmgren was for the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. Sarr was 2-of-5 from 3-point range on Friday, including this nice shot off the dribble:
The Wizards’ other first-round pick, No. 14 overall pick Bub Carrington, had an even better night with 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in
Meanwhile, Risacher scored 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting and grabbed five rebounds, doing a little bit of everything for a team that was short on other notable names.
The game didn’t have the same impact as Victor Wembanyama’s Summer League debut last season, but it was still an encouraging performance for both players. Sarr will get his next chance to make an impression against No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard and the Houston Rockets on Sunday, while Risacher will face the San Antonio Spurs the same day.