2025 NBA Draft scouting report: Ben Saraf, G, Ratiopharm Ulm

Summary: Saraf is a crafty lefty playmaker who relies on guile, footwork, and body control. Limited shooting and athleticism could cap his upside, but his positional size and skill could be hard to pass up.

Comparisons: D'Angelo Russell, Tomas Satoransky

Strengths

Pick-and-roll playmaking: Saraf has advanced poise for his age when using ball screens. He controls tempo, utilizes fakes to manipulate defenders, and delivers both creative and fundamental passes with precision. And though he’s a lefty, he has ambidextrous passing skill.

Scoring craft: He wears #77 for Ulm, and it shows he watches a lot of Luka Doncic film in the way he drives into the paint. He has immaculate footwork and uses subtle deceleration moves before laying in or floating up the ball with soft touch. But he’s a below-the-rim lefty finisher.

Positional size: He’s listed at 6-foot-6, so he has combo guard potential if his shooting off the catch continues to progress. He’s making 37.5% of those spot-up 3s this season, granted it’s on a low volume with his role being so on-ball heavy.

Concerns

Shooting: He’s never been a productive shooter. This season, he’s making only 15.6% of 3s off the dribble and 41% of dribble jumper 2s. Nor has he ever been better than average from the free throw line. This season, he’s making just 71.8% of his free throws.

Athleticism: He has a good first step but doesn’t have the speed burst button on his drives, so a lot of his shot-creation opportunities are contested. And though he finishes with craft, he’s a below-the-rim player who is way too lefty-dominant.

Defense: He has average lateral quickness and isn’t too strong, making him a target on defense. Perhaps over time if he gets stronger and focuses more energy into defense, he could tap into some versatility at his size.