Alex Sarr had plenty of expectations placed on him after being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Following a disastrous Summer League debut as a rookie, expectations were immediately tempered.
However, it seemed like that's exactly what the French product hoped for because when the regular season began, he began to show the flashes Washington hoped they could see from him early on.
Perhaps Sarr is just a regular season player, or maybe he plays his best when the odds are against him.
Regardless, an up-and-down rookie season hasn't stopped expectations from being placed on the forward.
In fact, a recent prediction from Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes has added even more pressure for Sarr to become the cornerstone player that the Wizards desperately hope he can become.
Alex Sarr predicted to be Wizards best player in 3 years
In a recent article from Hughes, where he predicted each NBA team's best player within the next three years, the Wizards 7-footer was projected to be the lead guy for Washington.
Even after his inconsistent showing as a rookie, it hasn't hindered the confidence that Sarr could still be the guy for the Wizards.
Obviously, fans hope that he can still be that player and the team's front office would love nothing more than the big man taking the keys to the team and proving he can be the versatile playmaker he was drafted to be.
Despite that, there's plenty of areas that Sarr has to improve in if he wants to even get near proving the prediction to be true.
Not only did Sarr struggle doing big man things with his horrid efficiency inside the paint, but he struggled being a reliable presence offensively as a whole.
Defensively, there's plenty to be excited about in his game, but that's not enough for him to prove the projections to be true.
At least, I'd hope not.
If Sarr never develops his offensive game and only proves to be a defensive standout, Washington would have bigger problems on his hands than his development if a defensive anchor was their best player on the team.
However, if he DOES develop his offensive game, he has the tools and skillset to be one of the most unique players in the league and could immediately help transcend the Wizards rebuild forward.
Regardless, the expectations for Sarr have only gotten higher.