Frenchmen went 1, 2 and 6 in the 2024 NBA Draft. They’re off to slow starts as rookies

ATLANTA — One moment last June symbolized the accomplishment of the league’s three high lottery picks from France in the 2024 draft. The day after their selection, top pick Zaccharie Risacher, second pick Alex Sarr and sixth pick Tidjane Salaün were all at the same section of airport gates in New York, each heading off to their new cities to start their NBA careers.

It was a high moment for both French basketball and the three individuals. Now, four months later, reality hits. As expected, the three French teens are off to a slow start playing against NBA talent, taking their lumps while they develop their games and hone their skill sets.

That fact was underscored this week as fate again threw the trio together to start the season. With all three in the same division, Risacher’s Hawks played Sarr’s Wizards and Salaün’s Hornets in the first week of the season … not that you would have heard much about it nationally.

Monday’s game between Atlanta and Washington featured the top two picks in the NBA Draft but gained near-zero traction nationally, scheduled against the NFL, the World Series and 10 other NBA games. (Washington and Atlanta play again on Wednesday, but it is again not nationally televised; also, neither game is in the Saturday afternoon window for European primetime broadcasts).

Perhaps that’s a good thing. Before a half-full State Farm Arena crowd, the two rookies were bit players in a 121-119 Washington victory.

Sarr scored seven points on 3-of-11 shooting, while Risacher was 1-of-8 and had a game-tying corner 3-point attempt in the final minute clang off the side of the backboard. For the season, Risacher is averaging 7.5 points and shooting just 30.3 percent through four games for Atlanta, including 3-of-14 from the 3-point line, while Sarr is averaging 7.0 points and has shot 3-of-16 from 3 in three games for the Wizards. Salaün, meanwhile, has only played nine minutes and has yet to score his first NBA points.

This is not a big surprise. Coming from overseas at the top of a weak draft, it was always understood that these were unlikely to be impact rookies; with no Victor Wembanyamas on the board, they were selected instead for what they might become down the road.

In particular, the adjustment to NBA size and strength has been notable for all three, and that’s no surprise to others who have done it before.

Hawks teammate Bogdan Bogdanovic made a similar jump from a high-level European league to the NBA, and noted the same difference.

“Athleticism in the NBA is very different,” he said. “There is not a league on the planet where you can see this type of length, athleticism and talent on the floor. Just adjusting to the speed of the games and the pace.”

Risacher noticed the difference early.

“Back in France I was super athletic, and now I’m just a regular dude,” Risacher said of his adjustment when I asked him in training camp.

That may be overly modest of him — the 6-foot-9 wing can really move for his size — but underscores the jump in levels. For the wiry Risacher, strength is as much an issue as pure athleticism. Particularly when he matches up against forwards, he can be outmuscled at times. While he has noticeably added a bit of muscle since summer league, there’s quite a way to go.

“When you’re 19, it doesn’t matter how many protein shakes you drink,” said Hawks coach Quin Snyder.

The Hawks like Risacher as a multi-positional perimeter defender, a skill in which he’s already shown facility against smaller players. However, his lack of strength has impacted his paint finishing on several occasions, and it also hurts him at times at the defensive end.

Watch here, for instance, as Risacher cuts off Kyle Kuzma’s driving lane but is easily discarded while Kuzma completes the finish. Learning how to flop would help, but a thicker frame would have also stymied Kuzma’s momentum.

Sarr has faced a similar set of circumstances. He’s a 7-foot center, in theory, but with a narrow frame he has started twice at power forward while masher Jonas Valančiūnas played the five. Sarr has also attempted more 3s than 2s, with his future seeming more as a stretch five who plays from the elbows and above the key. He did, however, make one turnaround on the block over Risacher on Monday, in one of the few plays when the two matched up against each other.

GO DEEPER

What NBA scouts are saying about rookie Alex Sarr and his future

That said, he was drafted more for his defensive potential, and he’s shown clear flashes on that end already. Sporting an 8.6 percent block rate through three games, he had multiple instances when he shut down the basket area in Monday’s win in Atlanta. Watch here as the Hawks’ Jalen Johnson finds out, and then Sarr pushes his rebound up court:

On the other hand, his hands and finishing remain question marks. Sarr has struggled at times with contested rebounds and snagging balls in traffic, and flubbed consecutive finishes in the game in Atlanta on Monday.

In Charlotte, meanwhile, Salaün saw his first action of the season on Saturday, going scoreless in nine minutes against the Heat.

I caught up with him before the Hawks-Hornets game this week, and he noted the open floor and 1-on-1 play were an adjustment from Europe.

“The game, on defense, it’s more individual, and the offense, you play quicker, and you have less system,” he said. “It’s more about pick-and-roll situations and play your game.”

Risacher and Salaün played against each other in Europe a year ago, and Risacher gave me his TL;DR scouting report — don’t let him shoot 3s!

“That’s true” Salaün said. “I can do more stuff, but if you don’t contest me for sure I will shoot every time.”

He took 37 3-pointers in 140 minutes in preseason, but missed his only try in his debut against Miami.

Unlike the other two, Salaün has a pretty thick frame that should allow him to match up with fours relatively easily. Salaün is listed at 6-8, 207 pounds, and one Charlotte staffer told me he thinks Salaün may top out at 235-240 pounds once he fills out.

As for Risacher, getting to that type of weight feels like a long shot, despite a concerted effort to fill him with some calories. Risacher told reporters in training camp that he was trying to eat every couple hours, mostly protein shakes and snacks, so that he could put some more weight on.

That, and the skill development, and the adjustment to the different basketball, all explain why the three French rookies — and this class in general — have failed to make a mark just yet. Yes, there have been moments and flashes. The most notable came just seconds after Risacher checked in for his debut against Brooklyn, when he almost immediately splashed in a transition 3-pointer and the home crowd in Atlanta erupted.

First touch, first bucket 🔥

Zaccharie Risacher — the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft — hits a three for his first NBA points.

🎥 @ATLHawks pic.twitter.com/zVFw68QYJK

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 24, 2024

Many more moments like that likely await all three at some point in the future. It just might be a while before they become common.

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(Photo of Zaccharie Risacher, left, and Alex Sarr: Adam Hagy and Patrick Smith / Getty Images)