Top 2024 picks getting valuable experience at EuroBasket

Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 pick of the Atlanta Hawks last season, had 12 points and five rebounds in France's 75-67 win over Spain Thursday in a warmup game for the EuroBasket tournament. He was held out of the rematch with a sore elbow, but after playing the second-most minutes on the team, Risacher looks like a big part of France's plans going forward.

The reigning silver medalists don't have half their Olympics roster for the quadrennial international competition. Centers Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama are out to preserve their health for the NBA season. Mathias Lessort is skipping the tournament, as is Evan Fournier, while longtime Team France members Nando De Colo and Nic Batum retired from international play after the Paris Games.

That means Alex Sarr, the No. 2 pick from the 2024 draft, should get plenty of opportunities in EuroBasket as well. Sarr got a slow start for the Washington Wizards, but averaged 15.6 points, 2.7 assists and 1.4 blocks in 25 games after the All-Star break and made the All-Rookie first team.

It should be a challenge and good preparation for next season. France is in Group D, where they'll face Slovenia and Luka Doncic and Team Israel, featuring Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers and first-round pick Ben Sarah of the Brooklyn Nets. Should they advance, the two young Frenchmen could face Serbia, featuring Nikola Jokic, Nikola Jovic and Nikola Topic, a Greek team with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Santi Aldama and Spain and/or Team Germany, with Franz Wagner and Tristan Da Silva of the Orlando Magic, plus Dennis Schroder of the Sacramento Kings.

Risacher especially can use the experience of being a go-to scorer for France, before a season where he'll likely be a second or third option for the Hawks. For Sarr, who is listed at 7 feet tall but only 205 pounds, he'll have to play in the post against an assortment of bigger, stronger centers in a tournament where officials don't call fouls as easily as they do in the NBA.

The Hawks and Wizards couldn't ask for a better warmup for their young prospects. No training camp could be as valuable as intense, international basketball for two players looking to improve fast.