00:01While Alex Saar has taken a leap in his second season
00:04with the Washington Wizards and will feature
00:06in the Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend.
00:10Saar goes in and one, throws it down.
00:14Yeah, it's exciting.
00:15It's exciting that I get to go there with two of my teammates again.
00:19We're going to have a good time. It's a good experience.
00:22So I'm excited to play that game.
00:24Saar, who went to Eurobasket last year
00:26before injury cut his tournament short,
00:28is averaging just under 18 points and eight rebounds a game
00:32for the Wizards.
00:33But it's his defensive work that stands out,
00:35registering over two blocks a night to trail only Wembenyama.
00:39His ability to execute multiple coverages throughout the game.
00:42It's a really unique skill set he has,
00:44and we're continuing to get better with things that we can put him in.
00:48But that's a unique player, and he does unique things.
00:53Saar is becoming a cornerstone of the next generation of Le Bleu,
00:57alongside Wembenyama and a wave of young talent,
01:00including Zachary Risashe, Bilal Koulibaly, and Nolan Traore.
01:07But it's France's depth that faces the next test,
01:10as the national team turns its attention to the second window
01:13of the FIBA World Cup 2027 European qualifiers.
01:18Le Bleu sit at one and one, heading into a home and away series
01:21against Hungary.
01:30And a pair of victories would give France a platform for its NBA stars
01:35to build upon later in the year.
01:42For all the latest on the road to the 2027 FIBA World Cup,
01:47head to FIBA.Basketball.
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