There's no doubt that when the Washington Wizards selected Alex Sarr with the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft last offseason that the rookie would have high expectations to uphold.
After a horrid debut in the Summer League, it took everything for fans to hold back their criticism of not only the French product, but the team's front office as all indications pointed to the 7-footer being yet another bust for the the Wizards.
Fast forward to the regular season; the early struggles from Sarr didn't help him beat the bust allegations by any means.
The big man was struggling to thrive in the areas that a player of his size and skillset should be dominating. Whether or not he could be a star at this point seemed to be the last thought on the fans minds; more so, it was the question of can this guy even be a solid role player?
It was rocky by all means, but as the season progressed, the rookie never let his struggles impact his confidence. He played through the ups-and-downs and he allows for the fanbase to see what he had to offer.
As shocking as it may be, the Wizards fanbase wasn't the only people with their eyes on the team down the stretch. Furthermore, they weren't the only ones impressed by Sarr's late play.
Zach Lowe's take on Sarr should be music to fans ears
Former ESPN analyst Zach Lowe let his thoughts about Alex Sarr be known during a recent episode of his The Zach Lowe Show on The Ringer:
"He has passed the eye test to me," Lowe said. "I think this is gong to end up a good draft pick for the Washington Wizard... This is not going to be a bust. Alex Sarr's going to be a good player."
"As a rim protector, look, he's not great," Lowe continued. "No one should expect him to be great right off the bat. But I've seen enough in terms of his speed, his agility, his timing, to say, 'Okay, that's going to be there."
"You know what else I like? Two and a half assists per game as a rookie center on a bad team. The DHO game from the elbows. He's picking out cutters. He can bring the ball up in transition some."
Sarr finished his rookie campaign averaging 13 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists, while posting shooting splits of 39.4% from the field and 30,8% from three.
There's no denying that Sarr is a work in progress. But despite his raw talent, the versatile forward has the potential to be a big-time player for the Wizards, and it's clear that Lowe sees that too.