The Washington Wizards have a lot invested into their future, but perhaps the one player who could completely alter the state of the team's rebuild is Alex Sarr.
Drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Wizards have high hopes for what the 7-footer could develop into, especially if he's able to figure out his offensive struggles to round out his game as a two-way star considering what he offers on the defensive end.
Defensively, Sarr is an absolute stud. He can block a shot in a heartbeat courtesy of his wing span and instincts, With his agility at his size, the big man can guard multiple decisions and that alone is a highly coveted skillset for any talented player to have in order to stick in the NBA.
And while being a defensive standout can keep Sarr in the league for awhile, his game will long be hindered by his offensive inefficiency until he's able to put in the work and take the next step offensively.
Fortunately, he'll have a huge opportunity to do exactly that when he suits up for Team France to take on a stacked group of NBA players around the world, but more specifically against Team USA,
With Sarr set to suit up for Team France in the FIBA AmeriCup this summer, the extended time on the court against top competition will benefit him alone, but the fact that he'll be a focal piece of the front court on the stacked roster with both Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert set to miss the summer action will be huge for his development.
If the Wizards young star is able to stack days and show promise offensively and build on his strong showing from Summer League, he could put himself in a really strong position to make a huge leap during hos sophomore season this coming year.
The more reps, the better and with a new-look roster in Washington heading into 2025, confidence around the team's chances in a wide-open Eastern Conference next season continue to grow.
A leap from Sarr would only add fuel to the fire of the possibility that Brian Keefe's squad truly can be a sleeper in the East next season.
Regardless if that's true or not, a second-year leap for Sarr would be a win of its own, especially for a fanbase that has high hopes that he could be a key piece to their rebuild moving forward.