Let's Go See Sergio De Larrea
A full scouting report on Valencia Basket's Sergio De Larrea, a 6'6" dribble-pass-shoot prospect who could go in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.
Sergio De Larrea has been on NBA radars for some time now. He made his first appearance in the ACB, one of the best domestic international leagues in the world, during his age 16 season. Listed at 6’6”, De Larrea has always been able to put the ball on the floor and make decisions far better than most his size. This past season, he thrived as a role player for Valencia, a high-end Euroleague squad. Given his pedigree and desirable skill set, it’s easy to understand why front offices have been enamored with him.
As a scout, one of my biggest fears is Anchoring Bias, or relying too much on my first impression of a prospect. When I first watched Sergio De Larrea… I didn’t get it. Sure, he had good size for a guard and could process the game at a high level. But there was a lot I didn’t like. His shooting mechanics bugged me. I worried about how upright he played with the ball and his lack of explosiveness as a handler. I didn’t like how he moved defensively. I was really wrapped up in the negatives.
Every year, there are a few players that I “punt” on. I tell myself, “I have a far more negative view of this player relative to consensus, so maybe it’s best to step away from the tape until after the season is over, take a deep breath, and reassess them later.” This cycle, Sergio De Larrea was one of those guys. The time finally came when I told myself, “Let’s go see Sergio.” And after my reassessment, I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, he still has some shortcomings. But the highs were too high to ignore, and perhaps more importantly, they come in valuable areas for a modern NBA player.
The Juice
I find myself stuck in a similar cycle every year. I watch NBA regular-season games, I see players contribute, and I think, “Ahh, yes, look at this large bevy of prospects who could potentially do similar things.” Then, it becomes nut-crunching time. The playoffs arrive. Suddenly, guys who were solid offensive contributors appear limited. Dudes who looked like passable defenders turn into lambs being brought to the slaughter. It gets serious, intense, and many times, ugly.
Offensively, it’s more apparent than ever that players need to have THE JUICE when the playoffs get here. Specialists have a harder time retaining their value when it matters. If you can playmake but can’t shoot, teams are going to sag. If you can shoot, but you can’t play downhill, teams are going to make you run off the line. If you struggle to make decisions, the defense will find a way to force you to make decisions. If you don’t have THE JUICE, it’s going to be hard to make an impact. And I think Sergio De Larrea may very well have THE JUICE.
De Larrea has proven comfortable creating his own shot against high-level opposition. He hit 39.4% of his pull-up threes this season and 44.4% of his threes the year prior, per Synergy. Most of these attempts aren’t anything groundbreaking. When his man goes under a ball screen, or if his defender gets clipped and the big man doesn’t rise up to the level, he’ll take the space that he’s given and pull up with a confident, smooth jumper. Still, he’s mixed in a little bit of sauce here and there, throwing in the occasional side-step or step-back to generate separation before draining a triple. Still, he’s not prone to settling, taking 31% of his halfcourt shots at the rim according to Synergy’s tracking data. De Larrea is a poised, polished ball-screen operator. He will use, re-use, and reject screens in order to get an advantage going. From there, he can use his size, footwork, and pace to maintain it while getting to the cup. While his 52.6% on half-court rim attempts is below average, it’s not a disaster mark, and there’s room for encouragement. De Larrea can finish with either hand inside, and his .449 Free Throw Rate bolsters his overall efficiency.
De Larrea doesn’t just create shots for others, though. He likes to get his teammates in on the action as well. He had a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio this past year and a gaudy 28.6 AST%, showing that he is both a prolific and trustworthy playmaker. One of my favorite traits of De Larrea’s is that he’s built for the pace of the NBA. He thrives at throwing long passes in transition to get his team on the run and picking teams apart in early offense to get high percentage shots early in the clock. That said, he’s not just a go-go-go action player. His aforementioned ball screen manipulation helps him to create for others within a half-court context. His ability to generate advantages draws the attention of off-ball defenders, and he can capitalize on that with well-timed, well-placed passes out of his live dribble that create clean shots for his teammates. He blends creativity and execution effectively to maximize scoring opportunities. De Larrea’s knack for making plays both at high speed in the open floor and in half-court with pace gives him a rare level of dynamism.
Complementary Work
While Sergio De Larrea can initiate offense for both himself and others, he has routinely found ways to contribute in more of a complementary capacity both this season and last. This season, he’s made 48.3% of his catch-and-shoot threes, per Synergy. Plus, his shot chart shows that he’s comfortable at every spot around the arc. I do have some mechanical concerns, as his base is extremely narrow, and it appears that there can be a lot of guide hand involvement at times. Still, he’s shot it well from three for back-to-back years. It doesn’t take him an eternity to get it off, and he shot over 80% at the charity stripe this year. He’s also shown solid instincts as a cutter, knowing when and which angle to attack through based on where his teammate’s drive is coming from. Lastly, he’s long been a shockingly potent offensive rebounder given his position. He had a 7.5 ORB% last year and a 6.6 ORB% this year, which gives him another low-maintenance way to impact winning. The appeal of De Larrea is that he may have THE JUICE, but THE JUICE isn’t all he has to offer.
Defense
Okay, here’s where I’m still a bit skeptical. Sergio De Larrea’s playmaking numbers aren’t anything to write home about. He had a 1.7 STL% and a 1.7 BLK% this past season. For context, when Luka Doncic faced similar competition as an 18-year-old back in the day, he had a 2.4 STL% and a 1.5 BLK%, and he’s not exactly considered an ace disruptor. As a more recent example, Hugo Gonzalez had a 1.5 STL% and a 3.0 BLK% while playing in ACB and the Euroleague. Again, De Larrea’s aren’t tragic, but they’re not exciting. The off-ball tape does show encouraging signs. His recognition is really solid, and he doesn’t have many lapses. He knows where he’s supposed to be on the court, and more often than not, he gets there on time. That said, he’s held back by his lack of burst and bounce. He doesn’t have the speed to dart into passing lanes or the lift to swat shots around the basket. Granted, these types of action plays generally don’t make up a large part of the game, but it’s better to have a guy who can do those things than a guy who’s not capable of doing them consistently.
The on-ball defense is a mixed bag, and it’s actually where I’m most concerned on this end. There are positive traits here. De Larrea has good positional size, and he’s not afraid to put it to use. He likes to get physical and body up his man. The downside is that De Larrea’s suboptimal athletic traits and technical shortcomings cause a lot of problems. One thing I kept thinking during my watch-throughs was, “It feels like this guy fouls a lot.” He fouls 4.4 times per 40 minutes, which is more than any of the college players who were drafted this past season. When things get hairy, he almost immediately resorts to grabbing his man. Even when he doesn’t do that, the results aren’t a whole lot better. He’s a very “hoppy” defender who leaves his feet too often, and not just against shot fakes. As a result, he’s easy to shake, get off balance, and blow by. His balance in general was a recurring issue, as opponents who could string together multiple dribble moves often got him stumbling in one way or another. Lastly, he lacks the recovery tools to get back into the play when he’s been dusted or clipped by a screen. I have real worries about him being a hunting target at the next level.
Conclusion
I do think drafting Sergio De Larrea in the first round does come with a degree of risk. If the eye test is more correct than the numbers on his jump shot, and he struggles to space the floor, he could see his offensive value diminish pretty quickly. His lack of speed could limit his ability to create advantages as a ball-handler, too. Defensively, both his technique and lack of high-level athletic traits present serious issues, and he’ll be chasing neutral on that side of the ball.
As scary as those shortcomings might be, I always like to say, “You always have to bet on something at some point.” This draft isn’t a deep one. So, when it comes time to bet, the appeal of Sergio De Larrea needs to be considered. He’s been playing at a high level for a long time. He’s listed at 6’6”, and he’s produced like a legitimate dribble-pass-shoot player against ACB and Euroleague competition. Given how versatile modern players need to be in order to not just thrive, but survive in the playoffs, De Larrea’s well-rounded skill set and high level of feel are tough to overlook. While I’ve yet to finalize my board, De Larrea is ultimately a player who’s been slotted in the “Guaranteed Contract Tier” of my board. While his defensive issues and athletic traits could hold him back, I feel that it’s worth swinging on his offensive firepower.
Nice report. But one interesting thing I think is that here in Europe he has to defend smaller guys. For me, in the NBA he will defend more wings than guards , so his lack of reactivity won't be as apparent as defending only guards...