The Washington Wizards took Alex Sarr with the second overall pick and have not been shy about their excitement. Finding a seven-foot teenager with an immense ceiling is never easy. Sarr played professionally in Australia last season, and the Wizards are already dreaming about his potential development.
Significant expectations come with being the number two overall pick, and they will start immediately. Fans will expect him to be in the Rookie of the Year race and showcase All-Star potential. It is why his shooting struggles in summer league caught so much attention.
The teenager will get minutes on the rebuilding Wizards but do not expect to see him in the Rookie of the Year race. Sarr needs time to develop his offensive game and finding minutes won’t be easy.
Alex Sarr won’t have the minutes or scoring to be in the Rookie of the Year race
The 19-year-old averaged 9.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 1.5 blocks in 18.0 minutes per game last season for Perth in the NBL. He took 1.9 3-point attempts per game but only made 27.6 percent. His offensive game is a work in progress, and Sarr will be taking a massive step up in competition.
Fans can expect defensive flashes. Sarr switches onto the perimeter and protects the rim. There will certainly be some defensive highlights in year one, and several stars may be surprised if they try to hunt the rookie big man.
The Wizards added Sarr to be a building block, but there will not be massive minutes available early in the season. Washington likely starts Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Kuzma in the frontcourt to begin the year, which makes Sarr a reserve. The Wiz will get him on the floor, but they have Marvin Bagley III and Richaun Holmes if they want another big man option.
Winning is not the top priority in the nation’s capital this season. They want to develop Sarr, Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly, and the rest of their young talent. Expect the minutes to rise for their youngsters as the season progresses. Those meaningful reps are the only way the franchise maximizes this season and finds out what they have in those talents.
Alex Sarr won’t be in the running for Rookie of the Year if he averages 25 minutes per game for the season and is not a dominant offensive force. The 19-year-old has a bright future, but his stats won’t blow fans away in year one. The Washington Wizards need to give him time and reps to develop.
They hope he blossoms into an elite defensive floor-spacing big man who wreaks havoc on both ends. It is a massive ask, but Sarr certainly has the potential. The Wizards have a plan to help him reach his ceiling. Only time will tell how it all works out.