Can Ben Saraf join a short list of Israeli basketball players selected in the first round of the NBA draft? On Friday, Saraf decided to enter the 2025 NBA draft after one year with German Club Ratiopharm Ulm.
“This is the right time for me,” Saraf told ESPN’s Jonathan Giovany. “After playing against the highest levels of competition in European basketball, I am ready and excited for the draft, but first we need to finish the season strong in Ulm.”
Can 19-Year-old Early 2025 NBA Draft Entrant Become 4th Israeli Born Player Selected In 1st Round
Saraf is having a solid season for Ulm after moving from Israeli Elitzur Kiryat Ata to Germany. In 43 appearances, he averages 12.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.6 rebounds in 24 minutes. He has compiled one double-double and shooting splits of 45.6/29.0/72.6.
Saraf has stepped up his production in Eurocup action. The 6-5 guard has totaled 205 (12.2) points, 74 assists, 35 rebounds, and 21 steals in 16 EuroCup appearances. He scored double figures in 12 of 16 appearances, including posting a 17-point and 10-assist double-double against Poland club Trefl Sopot in the event’s first game.
Before joining the Israeli League as professiona, Saraf spent two seasons with Next Generation Team Patras in Greece. He was named to the prestigious 2023 ANGT Top 5.
In addition, the 19-year-old has been part of the Israeli youth national team since 2021 and played for the senior national team in the 2024 EuroBasket Qualifiers, where he showed well. He was named to the U18 Euro Championship all-tournament team in 2022 and 2024 while earning MVP honors for the 2024 U18 event.
ESPN has Saraf at No. 23 in their latest mock draft. He is No. 17 in Bleacher Report’s Mock draft, Yahoo has him at No. 27 while Draft Digest lists him at No. 19.
What The Film Says About Ben Saraf
Strengths
- Scoring
- Passing: Owns a 30% assist percentage over last two seasons.
- Size
- Great Court Vision
- High Basketball IQ
Weaknesses/Area of Improvements
- Ballhandling/Decision-Making:
- Average Athleticism
- Shooting: Has a 49.1% effective shooting percentage in 2024-25.
Saraf is an intriguing offensive prospect due to his combination of size and speed. He doesn’t have elite athleticism but is fairly quick and excels in the open court. More importantly, he is very good at getting downhill, where he is capable of scoring at the rim through contact or finding an open shooter/cutter.
Saraf has a lot of tricks in his back, especially when finishing at the rim. He possesses strong handles and plays at his own pace, with an ability to run an offense. He is a direct line driver and is very good in pick-and-roll situations. He also has a decent mid-range game but plays out of control at times.
Shooting is Saraf’s biggest area of improvement. Saraf has improved his shooting with Ulm, though he is still wildly inconsistent. The good news is that there is potential for growth, as he possesses a sweet lefty shooting stroke and a nice base. The issue is that his footwork isn’t impeccable, and he shoots with his feet and shoulders at an angle.
While Saraf is a fantastic distributor, turnovers are an issue, as he has posted a 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio over the past two seasons. Saraf’s defense is also a concern, though he does have quick hands and can recover quickly enough to the ball-handler. Off-ball defense and strength are arguably the biggest concerns.
Here is more from Givony: “At 19, Ben Saraf brings an impressive combination of size, scoring instincts, feel for the game, aggressiveness and playmaking, with supreme timing and creativity operating in pick and roll, and sharp basketball instincts which manifest themselves in every part of the game.
Last Word
Saraf should become the fourth Israeli-born player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. He is an exciting offensive prospect, and while there is some concern about his shooting and defense, I project him to go between 15 and 25 in this year’s draft.
Portland Trail Blazers wing Deni Avdija is the last Israeli player to be selected in the NBA draft when he was taken by Washington in 2020 with the No. 9 overall pick. Omri Casspi and T.J. Leaf were the other Israeli-born players taken in the NBA’s first round.
Photo Credit: © David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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