The Washington Wizards are in the part of their much-needed rebuild, where every move they make will be examined closely by their fans, and the players on the squad.
Last offseason, the Wizards selected French product Alex Sarr with the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft to pair alongside another French native and former lottery pick Bilal Coulibaly.
In addition to Sarr, the team also took two more swings in the first round bringing in Bub Carrington with the final pick in the lottery and Kyshawn George in the back half of the first round.
And while each player has shown flashes of their own throughout this season, the recent play of Sarr has to be acknowledged as he's seemingly turned the corner that both the fans of the team and the front office have desperately been hoping he could before this wild ride of a regular season came to an end.
Alex Sarr is flashing serious potential as of late
Throughout the season, the 7-footer has shown his abaility to be a more than impactful defender. With his agility and lengthy frame, there's no denying that Sarr can be a difference maker in the paint as both a shot blocker and shot deterer with his prescense alone.
Not only does he have the frame to excel on the defensive end, but he also has the basketball IQ and instincts to find himself in the right position more times than not.
Up to this point of the season, it's been clear that Sarr's defensive capabilities were much further along than what he had to offer on offense, at least from the jump. And while the big man has without a doubt had his struggles this season, which includes his inefficient 39.4% shooting from field goal range, his recent stretch has showed the potential that the Wizards front office saw in him in the draft.
Over the Wizards recent stretch, Sarr has shown flashes off what he's capable of on offense, which included a 34 point, 6 rebound and 5 assists outing against the Denver Nuggets in a win. Not only did Sarr shoot the lights out, but he showed his ability to be a facilitator for Washington out of the front court.
Although he's yet to put everything together on a consistent basis, his play to close the regular season has been encouraging to see from both a fan standpoint, and coverage of the team.
If Sarr can focus in on his development over the offseason and improve his biggest areas of struggles, he could be a serious candidate for a big-time second-year leap.