2025 NBA Draft | Live Game Notes on Ben Saraf
2025 NBA Draft is approaching and these days offer some of the best opportunities to watch prospects across Europe. Ulm’s 18-year-old guard was on the court in Istanbul against EuroCup powerhouse Bahcesehir and we had a pretty good change to watch him live one more time in the city. This article only covers my insights on Ben Saraf’s performances in Besiktas and Bahcesehir games which both played in Istanbul. - Ata Toprak Koşal
10.14.2024 / Besiktas Akatlar Arena, Istanbul 📍
The game was on Monday, October 14th and just 2 days ago Bamberg defeated Ulm after a high volume and pretty close game by 103-100 in Bamberg. Ben Saraf had a showy game; put up 20 points, 4 assists in 22 minutes and right after that game they made it to Istanbul which is almost 1800 km far. Therefore, we all know schedule for the teams in Europe that play international competitions is really tight and makes us watch the game on different perspectives.
At the beginning of the game in Istanbul, Saraf attempted an easy layup in the first minute but was denied by Konan with a chase-down block, which was rather uncharacteristic for him. Shortly after, he missed another layup with his left hand. He scored his first points with a step-back three-pointer against the opposing big following a switch on PnR (1st Q / 6:48). He uses that move a lot and that’s what I appreciate the most because the biggest gap in his scoring upside is his inconsistent performance behind the arc. A quick, short step was enough for him to create a little space to shoot against the opposing big.
In the later stages of the game, Ben Saraf demonstrated his playmaking and ball-handling skills; reached to the rim with his quick change of direction and explosiveness, drew fouls, made 6/6 behind the foul line and hit another three from the right corner. Meanwhile, game got out of Ulm’s hand early, Besiktas was already found 30 points lead in the 2nd quarter. All this time, on the defensive end, Ben Saraf seemed to struggle with a lack of concentration. He was a bit sloppy while facing PnR’s, late on couple of closeouts and help defenses. I can't overlook the two steals he made by anticipating the passes; he showed good anticipation on passes beyond the perimeter.
At the end of the day, Ben Saraf finished the game with 16 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals, with only 1 turnover in 28 minutes. However, I felt that the game, ending with nearly a 40-point difference, didn’t fully reflect Ben Saraf's capabilities. So, I’ve been waiting for January 28th to see him live again, this time against Bahcesehir…
01.28.2025 / Sinan Erdem Dome, Istanbul 📍
Bahcesehir is one of the biggest EuroCup Final candidates this season. In their first season in the competition, the Turkish team claimed the top spot in the group stage with 14 wins before the final week. Bahcesehir has a strong rotation for each position, a lot of talent in the backcourt, and a well-sized team overall. This game was going to be challenging for Ulm in all aspects.
Ben Saraf was in the starting five again and matched up with Hazer who has a lot of energy to bring to the court. Early on in the game, he missed a one close jumper and then he rejected by Odiase while attempting a ‘lazy’ layup. This rang a bell for me because, as I mentioned, it happened at the beginning of Besiktas game as well. Moreover, some focusing issues and mis-communications happened on switches on the defense again in the first 5 minutes of the game. So, It wouldn't be inaccurate to say he was slow to warm up to the game.
Saraf entered the game with 5:30 left in the 2nd quarter. In that five and half minutes, he first pulled up a midrange jumper right after a PnR and made it. Then, he exploited his defender with a change of pace and finished at the rim. Shortly after, he demonstrated his quick first step again, beat his defender with a sharp change of direction and drew a foul at the rim. In the final seconds of the half, he stepped up once more. Bahcesehir switched against him, and the opposing big had nothing to do about his quickness and explosiveness; Saraf finished at the rim again. At that moment, he was completely locked in…
In the 3rd quarter, Saraf carried over the momentum from the 2nd quarter and played 9 minutes without any substitution. While he scored only 2 points, his impact was felt beyond the box score. He was impressive on both ends of the floor. He operated PnR’s effectively, created open looks, dished out two assists, and showed a high level of intensity on defense, did a good job on denial defense. I must mention that he stole the ball from Odiase in the low post during a mismatch, showcasing great effort and awareness.
Ben Saraf played just one minute in the final quarter, ended up the game with 9 points (4/8 from two, 0/2 from three), 3 assists, 1 steal, and 3 turnovers in 22 minutes. Intangibly; closing a game with young players is always a challenge for a coach, on both defense or offense. So, Coach Harrelson’s decision on Ben Saraf pretty understandable considering Ulm is close to bottom line for qualifying for the next round.
To conclude, Ben Saraf is a versatile player with a high basketball IQ, size, and craftiness, making him one of the top playmakers in his class. He has the skill set and physical tools to adapt to high-level basketball. At just 18, Saraf operates in pick-and-roll situations, makes decisions with confidence, and creates for both himself and his teammates at the EuroCup level. If he enhances his physicality, polishes his shooting from beyond the arc, and optimizes his defensive focus, from my standpoint, there is no reason he can’t play in the NBA as a ball-handler.