The Washington Wizards have a lot invested in the development of second-year man Alex Sarr and up to this point of the season, the former No. 2 overall pick has offered plenty of positive signs in terms of his development and the way things are trending ahead of year three.
Averaging 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists, while shooting 48.5% from field goal range and 33.6% from beyond the arc, the big man has proven to be a reliable presence on the offensive end.
Defensively, the 7-footer's 2.0 blocks per game prove just how impactful he can be as a two-way player when he's playing his best.
However, all of the good he's shown this season has recently been combatted by the poor decision making and the growing pains that he seemingly hasn't attempted to outgrow.
Part of the issues are to blame on Sarr, but the other half of the blame belongs to the coaching staff.
All of that to say, Sarr needs to use this recent quote from NBA mind Zach Lowe as a wake up call if he hopes to bounce back.
Alex Sarr's recent play is the exact opposite of what the Wizards need
As of late, Sarr's offensive output has left many scratching their head on a nightly basis, including Lowe who made that clear on a recent episode of the Bill Simmons Podcast.
"Every shot Alex Sarr takes, I'm like 'What? Why is he just allowed to just dribble around and take a 21 foot shot just inside the three-point arc jumper, let alone other centers are just running him over on the way to the rim," Lowe said.
Sarr has the ability to stretch the floor, there's no denying that.
But in the fashion in which he's playing, there's no way you can spin it to make it seem like the big man shooting pull up jumpers after dribbling aimlessly is beneficial, especially considering his calling card is on the defensive end.
Not to mention, Washington won't be asking Sarr to do any of that while playing alongside the likes of Anthony Davis and Trae Young moving forward.
Sarr isn't the only problem
While all eyes are on Sarr for this poor in-game decision-making, the coaching staff is just as much to blame for allowing the young frontcourt weapon to continously play the way he has.
The problem doesn't end with Sarr either, as Lowe mentions, this issue extends to the whole team.
"There are just a lot of possessions where I'm like, 'This is not good for anybody,'" Lowe said. "We've passed the point of, 'Oh, they're getting to spread their wings and try new stuff.' This is just bad stuff that's happening."
Lowe is right, and for Sarr and the rest of this team, it seems a wake up call is needed.