You can attribute a number of factors to why the Washington Wizards still haven't found their collective offensive stride this season, despite having their most talented roster in years. The bench production has been virtually nonexistent, and the starting lineup doesn't have much spacing. However, one overlooked reason is the quiet season from Alex Sarr offensively.
He's coming off an extremely promising sophomore season, averaging16.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, while looking ten times more poised than he did in his rookie season. However, the start to his third season hasn't provided the same level of excitement. He often looks lost in the shuffle offensively, and someone with his gifts should be featured a lot more on offense.
Alex Sarr hasn't made his presence felt offensively
So far, Sarr is averaging career lows in minutes, points, rebounds, assists, and blocks. It just hasn't been the season you would expect for a former second overall pick entering his third season. His numbers through seven games are 9.6 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one block in 25 minutes per game.
Sure, it makes sense that he wouldn't take an offensive leap with Anthony Davis and AJ Dybantsa both in the fold and becoming featured options on offense, but regression wasn't expected. He's shooting a career-high in field goal percentage at 52.1, but he's only taking 6.9 shots per game. That's nearly half of what he shot last season.
This offense has struggled as a whole, and simply put, there's way too much talent on this team to be ranked 21st in offense. Obviously, Sarr isn't going to be the first, second, or even third option given how the roster is constructed, but you need more from him regardless.
He's the key to the Wizards' offense turning a corner
At some point, Davis can only do so much. He's been unreal this season, but he's not going to single-handedly transform the Wizards into an offensive powerhouse. When you look at players on the team who are currently leaving a lot of meat on the bone offensively, the first thought is the bench, but the second is Sarr.
He can do it all. He has a lot of Evan Mobley, and if you squint, even some Davis in his game. His ability to stretch the floor, create offense off the bounce, and protect the rim is something that few players have. More should be expected from Sarr this season because he's shown he can do it. Sure, there's more talent, but that also means easier defensive matchups that he should be exploiting.
Having a playmaker like Trae Young should make offense easier to come by for Sarr, too. The field goal percentage has improved, which means it is, but the shots are cut in half. The Wizards need him to be more than just a rim protector, and there's still plenty of time for him to turn a corner.
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