Ben Saraf made a name for himself during the FIBA U18 European Championships. The Israeli guard operated as the primary offensive engine — and did so efficiently — while representing his nation. Saraf averaged an astounding 28.1 points in seven games while also dishing out 5.3 assists. In this stretch, Saraf posted 45/37/76 shooting splits even with heavy on-ball usage against some of the best European competition in his age bracket.
Saraf, who turned 18 years old in April, garnered MVP honors of the tourney and quickly signed with Ratiopharm Ulm. Ulm has turned into a prominent basketball figurehead after producing multiple 2024 NBA Draft picks in Pacôme Dadiet and Juan Nuñez. The German club now offers Ben Saraf a true opportunity to turn heads as an intruiging draft prospect ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.
The handle
Standing at 6’6”, Saraf’s ability to create and take space is at the heart of his offensive attack. The left-handed guard wins with a controlled pace, decisive handle and scoring talent after making his initial move. As a ball-dominant player thus far in his young career, reliance on solely his dominant hand is not an option. Saraf has displayed the ability to beat his defender going both left and right after setting up his dribble.
In the above clip from FIBA U18 EuroBasket, the Spanish defender is initially shading Saraf to his right hand where he has middle help from his big. Understanding this, Saraf elects to attack the high foot of his defender. His hesitation dribble toward the empty baseline shifts his man and forces him to flip his hips toward the sideline. Immediately, Saraf takes the space he created toward the middle of the floor. From this point, the Israeli guard creates subtle contact while playing off of two feet. With good contact balance, Saraf generates a clean look inside the paint. Despite missing the close-range fader, this clip clearly shows his ability to create off of a live handle in isolation.
Throughout his dominant offensive stretch in FIBA play, a majority of his scoring came as a result of self-generated offense. Saraf’s lively handle opens up driving lanes through deceptive hesitations, quick crossovers and functional play strength that allows him to hold driving lines. A bet on Ben Saraf as a prospect is a bet on his ability to succeed as true NBA scoring option.
Scoring gravity
For high-usage scoring guards to thrive at the NBA level, the ability to feel and utilize their scoring gravity is a must. For NBA stars like Luka Doncic, occupying the opposing big in the pick and roll to open up a Dereck Lively lob dunk is a great example of how the threat of scoring opens up passing windows. While Saraf is not the next Luka Doncic, it’s evident he understands the pressure his scoring places on a team defense.
As a constant dribble-drive penetration threat, Saraf’s court-mapping and solid positional size make him a reliable decision-maker while simultaneously looking to score the ball.
The above clips underscores his ability to quickly process the court. Down by three points to Serbia with just over a minute to go, he turns the corner after a ghost screen which gives him a half-step advantage. Saraf occupies not one, but two help defenders. Calmly, he delivers a solid kick out pass to a wide open teammate in the corner. While his precision as a passer requires some work, the ability to feel weakside help and pass over the top of the defense is a unique combination for an 18-year old guard prospect with scoring upside.
Throughout U18 FIBA play, Saraf time and time again demonstrated his ability to beat his man off the dribble, score when appropriate, and make the right read — often passing to the weakside corner — after drawing in numerous help defenders. In today’s game, drive and kick basketball is a lifeblood for generating open three-point attempts. Saraf’s playmaking upside is a direct result of his ability to score. The pressure he can place on team defenses from perimeter drives or the pick and roll will open up opportunities for the standstill shooters around him.
Areas for development
While Saraf has shown the ability to be a high-level perimeter scorer for his age group, it is highly likely that an NBA coaching staff would push for Saraf to grow as an off-ball catch and shoot threat. Projecting Saraf as a secondary offensive creator relies on him functioning off the ball. A key aspect to consider is his release timing. In comparison to other potential 2025 NBA draftees such as UCONN freshman Liam McNeeley and Duke freshman Kon Knueppel, Saraf’s shot motion is quite slow.
This isn’t atypical for most upcoming prospects. Even some of the best shooting prospects make tweaks to their shooting mechanics upon arrival to the NBA. His readiness off the catch will be an interesting storyline this year playing for Ulm in a stronger pro league.
Additionally, this season at Ulm will be a pivotal year for his defensive growth as a perimeter player. With a strong competitive streak and anticipatory skills, Saraf has shown himself as a timely defensive playmaker, both in the passing lanes and as an on-ball defender. However, technical improvements as a point of attack defender would go a long way in bolstering his draft stock.
This clip from the 1st quarter against Latvia displays both some of Saraf’s upside and downside as a defensive prospect at this point in his development. His feel for the game initially places him in an adequate position to help deny a flex cut entry pass from the wing to strong side block. However, Saraf then gets caught up on the down screen following the flex action. In the NBA, the amount of space Latvia’s guard has at the catch point is a warm-up three-point look. Ultimately, Saraf wins the defensive rep by cutting off the drive, then providing strong anticipatory help and blocking the shot.
Saraf’s basketball IQ and feel all aid him greatly in making plays on that end of the floor. However, his high volume of defensive gambles and current struggle to navigate screens cleanly are problematic areas that require some real improvement between now and the 2025 NBA Draft. Currently, it’s fair to expect Saraf would predominantly be asked to defend lower-usage wings if placed into the NBA today.
Concluding thoughts
Ben Saraf is a must-watch prospect over the next nine months. His combination of size, touch, handle and feel are a unique blend for such a young prospect. Ratiopharm Ulm will give him a strong opportunity to cement himself as a potential lottery pick in a strong draft through a high-volume of on-ball reps in spread pick and roll. His game is catered for the modern NBA. Pacing and spacing will aid his game greatly while pairing him with a rim-gravity big could do wonders for allowing him to get all the way to the rack more frequently.
As his game rounds out, it will be vital for Saraf to add a go-to move that creates separation. His handle and feel work well in conjunction as a downhill scorer. The addition of a lateral or step-back shot would do wonders for his game similar to some of the best downhill NBA creators of this recent era.