Wizards’ top pick has potential, but plenty of room for growth
It’s no secret why Alex Sarr went where he did in the NBA Draft.
The 7-foot France native has what teams look for in the modern-day NBA. He’s a big who can put the ball on the floor, go one-on-one from the top of the key and shoot from deep.
The Washington Wizards are entering a long rebuild. They hope Sarr — whom they took No. 2 overall in this year’s draft from Perth of Australia’s National Basketball League — can help them climb back to relevancy.
“It’s an up-and-down game,” Sarr said about learning the pace of the NBA. “I think I’m adjusting pretty nicely.”
Sarr’s combination of size and skill made him desirable before the draft. The Atlanta Hawks are deep at center, otherwise they might have considered him with the first pick.
Sarr is providing hope for the Wizards instead. Washington has missed the playoffs five of the last six years. Former UNLV guard Brian Keefe is taking over as coach to try to revive the downtrodden franchise.
“Of course it’s Summer League, so I feel like you get the excitement and butterflies more than the nerves,” Sarr said. “But I’m excited to be here.”
Sarr has had highs and lows through two games in Las Vegas.
He and the Wizards beat first overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and the Hawks 94-88 on Friday. Sarr had 12 points on 4-for-12 shooting to go with seven rebounds, four assists and four blocks. The only possible complaint about his performance was his offensive efficiency.
He came back down to earth Sunday in a 109-91 loss to the Houston Rockets. Sarr was held to eight points after shooting 4-for-14, including 0-for-5 from 3-point range. He was a minus-18.
Washington’s NBA Summer League coach Cody Toppert said the whole team was off in the loss.
“I think there was a level of physicality that we did not respond very well to,” Toppert said. “Coming out of halftime, we showed some fight, but we had some back-breaking plays that we were not able to recover from.”
Despite the poor showing, Sarr’s potential is through the roof. His 7-foot-4 wingspan plays a large part in that.
He still has room to improve on offense. He didn’t fare well against stronger defenders Sunday and his decision making could also improve. That was something Toppert felt the whole team struggled with Sunday.
“There are going to be times where we should look to rim drive or shoot if they back off. There are other times where they’re in good defensive position,” Toppert said. “So, instead of forcing something, we need to move on to the next action. … We need to get the ball moving.”
Sarr’s length and athleticism on defense should make him an asset on that end of the floor.
He displayed strong awareness Sunday and his presence made it difficult for the Rockets to attack the basket in the first half.
“I feel like getting blocks is really something that helps your team,” Sarr said. “As long as you get stops, whatever happens on the other side, you’re backed by it.”
Sarr struggled when backed down in the paint. Houston center Orlando Robinson, a former Centennial standout, had 22 points and 15 rebounds in the win. Sarr was his primary matchup in the second half.
Sarr is like any other rookie in that he needs to develop strength over time. That part will come. For now, he’s just getting his first taste of what life will be like going up against bigger NBA bodies.
“It just depends how the game goes,” Sarr said. “You can’t dictate how the game is going to go, but (defense is always important).”
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
