Entering the season, the Washington Wizards didn’t raise much hope by outsiders or their fans to make any noise.
With low expectations, the Wizards hoped to catch teams by surprise with their new-look roster and mix of young prospects and savvy veterans. However, after two games, it’s hard to imagine that Washington is close to doing that any time soon.
Looking ahead, the rest of the season looks to be a key year in their rebuilding process as they hope to see what their young roster has to offer; More specifically, what Alex Sarr has to offer.
Through two games, the No. 2 overall pick has shown flashes of the high potential that the Wizards drafted him for. However, he’s also shown the woes that appeared in the Summer League that many fans wanted to close their eyes and ignore.
Nonetheless, with all eyes on Sarr now, it’s time to take a look at the rookie’s start to the season ahead of the matchup with the Hawks.
Sarr takes care of the basketball
As a versatile big, Sarr is often put in the role to have the offense run through him. Two games in, Brian Keefe’s squad has shown flashes of an offense that used their new weapon at the top of the key to initiate offense.
Considering his ability to stretch the floor, he can open up so many avenues for the Wizards offense to be dangerous. And through two games, he’s done a good job initiating offense and handling the basketball without committing any boneheaded plays.
Through two games, Sarr has yet to turn the ball over. With his high basketball IQ and ability to take care of the basketball, his opportunities to act as more of a ball handler could increase as the coaching staff’s trust rises.
Nonetheless, where there’s good, there’s bad. So let’s take a look at what he needs to work on.
Sarr offers two-way versatility but struggles with consistency
Sarr showed out in the preseason early and gave Wizards fans the hope that their new franchise piece had arrived. At 7-foot, the French product’s ability to handle the ball on offense as a facilitator while also creating his own shot looked appealing.
And in the modern NBA, a big man who can relieve the duties of the backcourt with ball handling is almost a must. Looking at the top talents like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant, and Evan Mobley, you can see the difference their versatility makes for their team.
The rookie possesses the same skillset those top guys have to offer, but to this point, he’s struggling to find the efficiency on offense that could set him apart.
On the flip side, Sarr’s length and size give him the ability to be a nightmare defensively. And through two games, the big man has shown signs of that with four blocks and a steal.
However, the issue seems to be more of him adapting to the pace of the NBA and finding the ability to string together good performances on both ends.
That said, he needs to work on putting it all together to be consistent and reliable.