Following his rookie season, there's no doubt that the criticism of Alex Sarr was warranted.
Not only did the French product struggle in areas that many believed he should thrive in, but as the reigning No. 2 overall pick, expectations were high entering the league.
However, adjusting to the NBA isn't exactly the easiest thing to overcome and often times it takes a few years for players to adjust, at least in terms of proving they were worthy of the investment their team made in them by selecting them so high in the NBA Draft.
Instead of dwelling on his underwhelming rookie campaign, the 7-footer put in the work this offseason and since the beginning of the regular season, he's looked like a completely different player for the Wizards.
Not only is Sarr playing with a newfound confidence, but it's clear that his unique skillset puts him in elite company compared to the rest of the young talent in the league,
As a rookie, Sarr averaged 13 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists, while shooting 39.4% from the field,
Comparing his rookie season to this year, where he's averaging 18.1 points, 8,4 rebounds and 3.6 assists on 50.7% shooting from the floor, the improvement is hard to ignore.
Despite the leaps he's shown throughout his sophomore year, Sarr has yet to be given the credit he deserves.
Often times when discussing the top young talent in the league, the likes of Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Amen Thompson, Cade Cunningham, Paolo Banchero and several other versatile talents come to mind.
However, Sarr, who's proving to be one of the most unique and versatile two-way players in the league never makes his way in these discussions.
The worst part about it is the reason he's not mentioned is solely due to the fact he wasn;'t the No. 1 overall pick, nor is he on a winning team at the moment,
Failing to meet either of the criteria listed above, Sarr has yet to be given the credit he deserves and for no real reason,
It's clear that the French product has developed into one of the best young players in the league and although the Wizards aren't a winning franchise or the fact that Sarr slid to No. 2 overall is the only legit possibility for the reason why he's ignored when talking about the future of the league's talent.
Sarr is a top young talent and it's time he's mentioned in those conversations.