Zachary Rishachar, Alex Sarr taken No. 1 and No. 2 in NBA draft

The selection, which began with arguably the most wide-open draft of the last decade, follows the San Antonio Spurs’ choice of French center Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick last year. Wembanyama and Riesacher are the first players from the same country outside North America to be selected first overall in back-to-back drafts. As soon as NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the first pick, Sarr stood to shake hands and hug Risacher to congratulate him.

“It shows how much talent we have in France,” Sarr said. “I’m excited for Zack. I was really happy for him. (To be picked second) is really special. No matter which pick you make, the team is taking a risk on me. I am blessed for this. I will not take it lightly. I will play with effort and win.”

The Hawks were selected in first place for the first time since 1975. Rissachar, a 6-foot-9 scoring-minded forward who was honored as the French League’s top young prospect last season, averaged 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 35.2 percent on three-pointers. For JL Bourg, who compiled a record of 25–9.

“I’ve known Tidjane and Alex for a long time,” Rishacher said. “We grew up playing against each other. This is amazing for our country. First of all, it’s surprising to us. Just being able to make your dream come true together is special. I think the French players are going to take some inspiration, and it will be better and better for us.

Atlanta finished 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 36–46 record, but lost in the play-in tournament, leading to trade rumors surrounding star guards Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Rishacher described himself as a “versatile player” who could “fit easily” into a Hawks roster that could be volatile.

“I can’t wait to find out what my role or my goals will be,” Rishacher said. “I don’t know yet, but I know I can do a lot of things – guard multiple positions, get some rebounds, finish strong, be aggressive, obviously shoot threes.”

The Wizards made Sir their top pick since selecting John Wall as the No. 1 pick in 2010. Sir, a versatile defender who stands 7 feet tall, averaged 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks for Perth, which was second best in the NBL. record.

As Sir was shuttled through various media obligations, dressed in a cream suit with a matching Wizards hat, he met with team owner Ted Leonsis for a brief meet-and-greet in a curtained hallway.

Sarr, whose globe-trotting basketball journey took him through Spain and the Overtime Elite Development Program in Atlanta before landing in Australia, said he watched a lot of the Wizards’ games last season and liked their style of play despite their 15-67 record. Enjoyed. ,

“I’m really excited to be a part of the Wizards,” Sarr said. “I really like the roster. We can be a good team next year. They played really fast. They are one of the fastest teams. There are a lot of versatile guys on the roster, like Bilal (Koulibaly), who can switch on everybody, or a lot of guys who can grab the rebound and pass it around. “That’s the brand of basketball I like.”

While Sarr made headlines by refusing to work out for the Hawks, he said Wednesday that his recent workout with the Wizards went well and that he enjoyed his first trip to Washington, which lasted three days. Wizards general manager Will Dawkins took Sarr on a tour of the city’s sites, including the Washington Monument, the Capitol and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

“I had a good workout,” Sarr said. “It was tough. They put you through it because they want to see how you’ll react to everything. I did a great job. I shot the ball well and now I’m here.”

The Houston Rockets selected Kentucky guard Reed Shepard at No. 3, the San Antonio Spurs took Connecticut guard Stephen Cassel at No. 4, and the Detroit Pistons rounded out the top five by adding G League Ignite forward Ron Holland.

The rest of the lottery played out as follows: Sale to Charlotte Hornets at No. 6; Connecticut center Donovan Clingan to the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 7; Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham for the San Antonio Spurs at No. 8; Purdue center Zach Eddy to the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 9; Colorado drafted forward Cody Williams to the Utah Jazz at No. 10; G League Ignite forward Matias Buzelis goes No. 11 to Chicago Bulls; Serbian guard Nikola Topic for the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 12; Providence guard Devin Carter to the Sacramento Kings at No. 13; And Pittsburgh took guard Bub Carrington at No. 14 to the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Spurs will reportedly trade Dillingham to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a future selection. The Wizards would acquire Carrington and guard Malcolm Brogdon from the Blazers for forward Denny Avdija.

Without a generational headliner like Vembanyama to inspire discussion, this year’s draft was a low-key affair. A few dozen reporters interviewed projected lottery selections at a midtown Manhattan hotel at media day Tuesday, and there were plenty of empty seats in the arena for Wednesday’s first round. On the eve of the draft, the Brooklyn Nets’ agreement to trade Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks overshadowed the annual festivities.

For the first time, the NBA decided to split its two-round draft over two days, with the made-for-television second round beginning on Thursday afternoon at the ESPN facility near the Brooklyn Bridge. To avoid clashing with the scheduled debate between President Biden and former President Donald Trump, the second-round draft broadcast was moved up to 4 p.m.

Silver began Wednesday’s proceedings by saluting Hall of Famers Jerry West and Bill Walton, who died last month, and acknowledging the Boston Celtics for winning their first championship since 2008. The crowd booed loudly whenever the Celtics were mentioned and cheered when Bronny James played. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James’ draft-eligible son gets featured on the big screen. The younger James was not selected in the early rounds.