When the Washington Wizards selected Alex Sarr at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, few knew exactly what to expect. Sarr had gone from an odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick to a player who was usurped at the 25th hour, thus leaving many to question the extent of his potential.
The Wizards looked beyond the media circus, however, and ultimately selected a player who seems poised to anchor their interior in 2025-26 and beyond.
Sarr put together a polarizing rookie season that highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of his game. He averaged 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 offensive boards, 2.4 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 0.7 steals in 27.1 minutes per game, shooting at an inefficient clip of .394/.308/.679.
For what it's worth: Sarr's averages translated to 17.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.5 offensive boards, 3.2 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 0.9 steals per 36 minutes.
Those are remarkable averages for a young player, but the inefficiency coninues to play a factor in evaluating his potential and progress. Thankfully, Sarr has seemingly taken the criticism in stride as he puts together an impressive Summer League tenure.
Though still in need of improvement in several areas of the game, Sarr is proving that he's ready to take a step forward in year two.
Alex Sarr taking criticism in stride, showing progress at Summer League
Sarr began the Las Vegas Summer League with 15 points, four rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and a steal against the Phoenix Suns. He followed that effort with 16 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, and a dominant eight blocks against the Brooklyn Nets.
Sarr shot 5-of-10 and 7-of-15 from the field between those two games, which begins to scratch the surface of why Washington should be intrigued.
Sarr has been far from mistake-free, as he's committed eight turnovers through two games. What he's shown, however, is a willingness to play until the whistle, making up for moments of poor defensive positioning by bolting to the ball and either forcing turnovers or redirecting shots.
Sarr isn't only blocking shots from smaller players, either, as he's also sending back attempts by fellow bigs—including blocks on post-up and dunk attempts by 7'2" rookie Khaman Maluach.
Offensively, Sarr has been an active lob threat and screen-setter—both on and away from the playmaker. He's also shown clear signs of development from a skill perspective with the ball in his hands, including an improved ability to take his man off the bounce.
Whether he's gone to the rim or stopped on a dime for midrange offense and post-ups, it's been encouraging to see Sarr explore his skill set.
There's still an occasional aversion to physicality that he needs to work through, but Sarr has been instinctive and decisive on both ends of the floor. He's also displayed improved footwork and finishing over both shoulders in the post, and has even proven more confident when going into his shots.
Those essential developments seem to suggest that 2025-26 could be the stage for a massive step forward from Sarr and the Wizards' promising young core.