Wizards rookie Alex Sarr's confident take on offensive development

11/16/2024 06:21 PM

Washington Wizards rookie Alex Sarr is already an elite rim protector, as he’s tied for fourth in the NBA with 2.4 blocks per game thus far. However, the French international is also excited about his offensive game.

Sarr gave a self-evaluation for that side of the ball thus far at practice.

I asked Alex Sarr how he feels about his offensive game this far…he said he's "improving every game" and "confident about it" #wizardspic.twitter.com/NChmoR0RfB

— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) November 6, 2024

“I feel like I’m improving every game, finding my spots, learning where to attack, so I’m pretty confident about it,” he said.

Sarr has 10.5 points per game on 36.5% shooting this year with 2.2 assists, including a 21.2% clip from beyond the arc and 71.4% from the charity stripe. The No. 2 overall pick scored a career-high 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting (3-4 3pt) in Friday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Sarr was primarily drafted for his defense, and he’s been up to the task on that side of the ball. In addition to his blocking prowess, the 19-year old has recorded a steal in seven of his 11 games played thus far, peaking with three swipes against the Hawks on Friday.

If Sarr can develop into an upper-echelon scoring big man as well, though, he’ll be a franchise cornerstone for years to come.

Wizards couldn’t have hoped for a better start by Alex Sarr

Although the season is still young, Sarr has already improved his shooting efficiency. The seven-foot, 205-pounder shot 29.7% from the field in October, but has a 39.7% mark thus far in November.

Wizards head coach Brian Keefe gushed over Sarr’s effort against the Hawks, via the team’s YouTube channel.

"I think one of the things that was great about Alex was his activity," Keefe said. "Steals, blocked shots, offensive rebounding. Sometimes that just leads to you getting some good shots."

In addition to his 20 points and four steals, Sarr also had seven rebounds, two assists, and three blocks across 31 minutes. It was not only the lottery pick’s best outing of his young career, but it was an early example of his potential to impact the game in multiple ways, even when he doesn’t shoot the lights out every night.

"I think the one thing that’s great about Alex is that he does not waver and he has never wavered since I’ve been around him," Keefe continued. "He continues to play, he continues to compete. Shot doesn’t go in, it doesn’t affect how he plays on the other end. This is a guy who can move on to the next possession. It’s really mature for someone his age to be able to do that. It’s a great quality that he has."

It’s easy for young players to be sheepish when they don’t always light up the scoreboard. However, thanks to his confidence and dedication, Sarr has still been an effective rebounder and defender even when the shots haven’t fallen. As a result, he’s able to have nights like he did on Friday.

"You got to keep shooting at the end of the day," Sarr said. "I feel like you just got to stay confident in your game."

Any player drafted as a lottery pick has talent in spades, but what separates the best ones is their mental fortitude. Sarr has already shown the ability to bounce back from nights like Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs, when he made just two of nine shots as superstar big man Victor Wembanyama registered his first career 50-point game.

Washington may be struggling at 2-9, but these flashes from young players like Sarr show that the rebuild is right on schedule.

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