Who do you think the Spurs will draft with the 4th pick?
Or do you think it will be somebody else? CLICK HERE to join the conversation on Facebook...
NEW YORK - Here in the middle of Midtown, the NBA's next generation of stars met with the media Tuesday, and we got to meet the top prospects in the draft.
The Spurs have two of the top 10 picks. The consensus guess with the four pick has been Stephon Castle, a 6’ 5” freshman from UConn who was in San Antonio for a recent workout with the Spurs. He won a national title in his only season there, has expressed an interest in playing point guard in the NBA, and who better to deal to than Victor?
“I mean, he's a great player. He attracts a lot of attention. So I feel like the other four guys on the court with him - I feel like the just the spacing it creates them for them - makes it a lot easier on the court. So I mean, like I say, he's a great player,” explained Castle. “The workout, it went well. I was happy with it. So we'll see how it goes.”
And if point guard is the priority, then don't be surprised if the Spurs seriously consider Devin Carter. The 22-year-old was the Big East player of the year. His athleticism and speed were off the chart at the NBA combine. And he's got a Spurs pedigree. His dad, Anthony Carter, played briefly with the Spurs back in 2003. Devin said dad taught him basketball, but also life.
“Everywhere you go now everybody's looking at you. Everybody has eyes on you. So honestly, just staying locked in, staying humble, treat everybody how you want to be treated. And he just taught me more so how to be a man, and how to respect other people more than anything,” said Carter.
There are three French prospects to keep an eye on. Most think that both Alex Sarr and Zaccarie Risacher will already be taken when the Spurs have their turn. And Tidjane Salaün is a young teenager whose stock has been going up the charts on the mock drafts.
Has Wemby created a French revolution on the court?
RELATED | NBA Draft rumors: Spurs want to pair Castle with Wembanyama?
“Victor is a great player. And I think to be able to share the court with him would be a great thing. Obviously, it makes everybody look better. Everybody around him looks better, but that's what a great player does,” said Risacher.
Risacher is the likely pick at number one to Atlanta. But you never know. In fact, the only thing that is certain is that there will be surprises, likely some trades and more drama than any draft in the past 20 years or so.
In 35 years of covering the Spurs, I have rarely nailed the draft prediction. The Spurs have been so unpredictable. So here goes. At four they take Castle unless the Rockets pull off a big trade and Sheppard is left on the board. Or if Atlanta pulls a surprise and Risacher is there. At eight I like Devin Carter. Seems like a 10-year solid play there. But I love Ja'Kobe Walter as a sleeper pick along with Cody Williams.
Hawks set to make No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, and this year there is mystery about who it will be
By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Since the lucky numbers came up for the Atlanta Hawks for a surprising victory in the lottery, speculation centered around Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher of France as the players they would consider for the No. 1 pick.
Donovan Clingan hopes he gave them someone else to think about.
The center from two-time defending national champion UConn also visited the Hawks and thought he put on a good performance.
"So I feel like the workout went well and we'll see tomorrow," Clingan said Tuesday.
There was no such mystery last season.
Victor Wembanyama was the choice all along for the San Antonio Spurs and the center from France proved to be the right one with a Rookie of the Year season. When the now two-night draft begins Wednesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, another Frenchman — or two — could quickly hear his name called by Commissioner Adam Silver.
Sarr is a 7-footer who spent last season playing for Perth of Australia's National Basketball League. Risacher (pronounced Ree-zah-shay) is a forward who had a breakout season last year in France.
The players are friends who were teammates in 2023 when France won the silver medal in the Under-19 World Cup.
"I think we're two different players," Sarr said. "We can't really compare. We played on two different spots and we both bring different skills to the game."
If Sarr or Risacher is taken first, it would mark the first time that the draft went consecutive years without the No. 1 pick being someone who played at an American college.
Clingan and UConn teammate Stephon Castle, along with Kentucky's Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, will make sure it's also a good night for some of the usual college basketball powerhouses.
But the big celebration could be in France.
Sarr wouldn't confirm whether he had worked out for Atlanta, but he might be skilled enough that the Hawks would have to consider him no matter what with their first No. 1 pick since 1975 — and one they weren't expected to get after having only a 3% chance of winning the lottery.
Or maybe it's Risacher, who believes his country will make more draft memories in the years to come.
"My point of view is that a lot of good players are going to show up and that's amazing to see that we're growing as a nation," Risacher said, "and I can't wait to see more good French players coming to the draft."
