#14 Ben Saraf
6'6 | Guard | Ratiopharm Ulm | 04/14/2006
Cerebro Player Profile: Ben Saraf
Big Board Rankings 1.0 ( @ twitter ):
Evaluation by: @the_nbagell
While Saraf isn’t the most explosive, he uses his deceleration ability to get past his defender. Saraf is also a good ball handler, but not a great one. While Saraf’s jumper is questionable, he’s able to play on or off ball as a combo guard. He shoots much better off the catch than off the dribble yet he has a good pull up mid range jumper. Because of that, there’s hope that the off the dribble jumper can improve. The primary way Saraf playmakers right now is driving and kicking out of the pick and roll. Additionally, right now Saraf is very left hand dominant. He uses the left hand to set up his teammates with live dribble passes, but he usually needs to take an extra second to prepare to throw the same pass with his right hand. However, Saraf can finish at the rim with either hand.
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Saraf’s awareness on both ends of the court is excellent, but he always seems to know where to be defensively. He has the motor and gives the effort on the defensive end of the court but sometimes he gets over aggressive. Saraf fights through screens well and stays on his man's hip. He also has the length to jump passing lanes. What Saraf lacks in foot speed and lateral quickness, he makes up with elite IQ and defensive awareness. Saraf is rarely out of position, as he makes quick rotations. However, sometimes the issue is that his foot speed and lateral quickness doesn’t allow him to fully make the play on the ball or to stay in front of his man. Due to his 6’6” size, Saraf is usually covering quicker guards so he needs to find a consistent way to utilize his size defensively.
Saraf is young for this class, as he doesn’t turn 19 until April. Saraf emerged onto the scene after taking home MVP honors in the U18 EuroBasket this past summer. At first glance, I saw a young Killian Hayes. While many may think that’s a detrimental comparison, I had Hayes as a top 3 prospect in the 2020 draft. In fact, Saraf plays for Ratiopharm UIm, the same team that Killian Hayes played for prior to being the #7 pick to the Detroit Pistons in 2020. As noted in the offensive evaluation, Saraf is a smooth lefty. With that said, he is far too reliant on his left hand right now to the point where his playmaking becomes a little predictable. The live dribble passing from his left hand is elite, but if he takes a second to throw a pass with his right hand, it’s enough time for the opposing defender to recover and turn the pass into a turnover. In terms of the lack of explosiveness and athleticism, Saraf’s use of deceleration to get by his defenders is very Jalen Brunson-esque. It also helps that Saraf is a guard playing with wing size. In order to succeed at the NBA level, Saraf will need to improve his jumper and ability to play off the ball, which will allow him to play more as a wing. We’ve seen a similar big guard who can’t shoot get played off the floor in the NBA playoffs with Josh Giddey last season. However, Saraf’s jumper is more polished, he can compete more defensively, and his deceleration ability will alleviate the issues that Giddey faced last season.