Early returns on Noa Essengue and Ben Saraf
Ratiopharm Ulm has started its season strong with huge contributions from its two prospects.
Ratiopharm Ulm has started 4-0 in German and EuroCup play, with big contributions coming from their top prospects, Noa Essengue and Ben Saraf. Ulm, over the last handful of years, has produced a handful of prospects with first-round picks like Killian Hayes and Pacôme Dadiet.
This year’s duo looks to be the best Ulm has produced, and is on its way to do just that after a productive summer has led into a productive fall.
Both put their names into the “potential lottery pick” bin in FIBA Eurobasket U18 play. Essengue was a consistent offensive option for France, averaging 17.6 points on 63.4% true shooting, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Saraf was the tournament’s MVP for fourth-placed Israel, averaging 28.1 points on 55.4% true shooting, 5.3 assists and 4.0 steals.
Both have unique skill sets, which have been on full display as what will likely be their final pre-NBA season. Here are the early returns.
BIG BOARD
Noa Essengue, 6’10” forward
2024-25 (4 GP): 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Noa Essengue came onto my radar as a potential top-10 pick in the Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT) Dubai, where he won MVP, averaging 20.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.8 stocks (steals plus blocks).
Against opponents in his age range, Essengue took on a ball-dominant role, showcasing his ability to score in all settings, playing as a mismatch nightmare in a small-ball five role. He’s a bit too small to do that for Ulm in regular-season international play, which features former NBA vets and far more grown men.
Despite this, Essengue has remained effective, playing mostly out of spot-ups and in transition.
Strengths:
Great pop off the floor; can challenge rebounds, contest shots and finish effectively (66.7% at rim).
Easy dunker, fluid athlete; compensates for lack of elite size with bounce, quickness, and long arms (6’11” wingspan).
Can roll or pop; good lob threat and excels attacking closeouts with minimal dribbles.
Not afraid of contact and absorbs it well despite being thin (1.18 FTr).
When engaged, covers ground defensively.
Showcasing improved passing feel (1.5 AST/TO ratio).
Weaknesses:
Skinny at 194 lbs, absorbs contact well but could dominate with added strength.
Too many of his shots come close to the rim for a non-center. Of his 22 field goal attempts, only six are non-layups and dunks.
Motor concerns, can sometimes lack defensive effort or effort on the glass.
Historically not a great shooter, although there’s been an uptick through the small sample with Ulm.
Will likely never be a good enough passer to run offense through.
Essengue has always been most reliable as an athlete over any specific part of his game. He can get up off the ground with ease, allowing him to function effectively as a roll man despite not being as long or strong as more traditionally sized bigs.
The intrigue with Essengue comes from his quickness, fluidity, and comfortability playing outside of a traditional big man’s role. This was primarily what he showed in ANGT Dubai, where he ran pick-and-rolls, brought the ball up and took defenders off the dribble.
Even in early play this season, he’s shown flashes of finding his teammates in the flow of the offense. That being said, he lacks much of a passing arsenal and has shown no signs of being able to manipulate defenders.
Where he functions extremely well is as an off-ball scoring option. He’s not running off screens to shoot, but Essengue is talented at finding space as a cutter or roll man, keeping an angle, utilizing patience and staying within a ball-handler’s vision to create easy assist opportunities.
The part of the game where everyone seems to be waiting for Essengue to emerge is the jump shot. Essengue shot under 10% from three in FIBA and was less than proficient from the free throw line despite his confidence in taking threes and proficiency in drawing fouls. The percentages are up across the boards for Essengue, who’s shot two-of-five (40.0%) from three and 17-of-25 (68.0%) from the free throw line.
Defensively, Essengue’s role isn’t quite defined. There have been questions regarding his motor, and that will occasionally show on a lazy closeout, lack of effort to get back up the court or standing and watching someone grab an offensive rebound. The flashes are there, as Essengue’s gifts allow him to cover ground and make plays when engaged.
CURRENT GRADE: Late-lottery to mid-first-round
RECENT
Ben Saraf, 6’6” guard
2024-25 (4 GP): 14.5 PTS, 5.0 AST, 1.5 STL
Saraf turned heads in U18 Eurobasket play as an aggressive, skilled and large creator, winning MVP honors. He did much the same in U16 play, but it was the most recent tournament that really caught my eye.
Some things with Saraf really catch your eye, starting with the box score production. He scores, creates turnovers and finds his teammates with a proficiency that shows up on the surface. When you turn on the film, there’s a lot to pick apart and tear down, but production is a great indicator, especially as it scales with the level of play.
Saraf saw a huge climb onto draft boards this summer, a lot of scouts essentially trying to be the first to the new big thing, pushing him into their lottery and top-10 over some more established prospects, but that’s hardly to say Saraf’s talent isn’t legitimate.
Strengths:
Great size for a playmaker at 6’6”, flexible and capable of winning against defenders tall and small.
Shifty with the ball in his hands, constantly changing directions and speeds.
Multi-level vision; doesn’t need to shift between a passing and scoring gear to create high-value looks for teammates. Big fan of the Tyrese Haliburton/Trae Young jump pass.
Loves getting the roll-man involved out of the pick-and-roll. Keeps turnovers relatively low with a diverse passing arsenal (1.67 AST/TO ratio).
Great activity defensively; constantly getting his hands on balls and forcing steals/deflections.
Weaknesses:
While shifty and flexible, lacks burst; struggles to blow by athletic defenders and can be walled off at the rim (38.9% at the rim in the half court).
Not a natural shooter; possesses a rickety left-handed shot that has never been a weapon inside or outside the three-point line.
Loose handle is the culprit for most of his turnovers; strength can bother him, and his skill hasn’t caught up to his playstyle as a handler.
Lacks strength overall; needs to be shifty as a response, but doesn’t have the burst to compensate. Struggles to get two feet in the paint.
Not a versatile shooter in any regard.
Strength issues force him to play smaller than his height defensively.
I believe what Saraf has shown is a mixed bag at best. There is validity to believing in production, and with games of 21 points, and 17 points and 10 assists just four games in, there’s reason to be hyped about Saraf, and how he’ll grow. The product on the court has just been a bit messy.
The big thing that stands out is the handle, in large part due to the fact that Saraf is a legitimate point guard. His handle is undoubtedly weak, often bobbling the ball or having to look down at it to regain control before attempting another bevy of moves in an attempt to score or develop something.
He can certainly create offense, and the flashes of a true orchestrator are there. Saraf does show the ability to manipulate defenders with his eyes, in the air and with a live dribble, it’s all just neutered to a degree by his handle and lack of high-end burst.
That athleticism has cut off the water a bit for Saraf around the rim, as he’s struggled to get past the first line of defense and get two feet in the paint. When he has, it starts to look like a block reel for the opponent.
The impact of that is only further compacted by his lack of proficiency as a jumper, meaning Saraf really doesn’t have an identity as a scorer. He was able to take advantage of younger competition in U18 and U16 play, but it hasn’t been the same against grown-man competition with Ulm.
Overall, its easy to see why people are excited about what Saraf has shown and how he’s produced, but its even easier to pick apart. He has the makings of an elite playmaker, but just needs the rest of his game to come around before he gets there.