In his rookie season, Alex Sarr was still transitioning to the NBA.
The offense didn’t come easily. The second overall pick shot just 39.4% from the floor.
In his third summer league game, he put up a notoriously poor performance. Sarr shot a brutal 0-15 in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
With the struggles of his debut year, fans online were quick to brand him a bust – another lottery pick that found the lights too bright.
This year, he has turned his game around. Sarr has boosted his field goal percentage by 10.2% and his three-point accuracy by 2.8%.
But scoring was never the selling point for The Big Eiffel. Defense was. Now, in his sophomore season, he’s proving why he was drafted to anchor the franchise’s future.
Sarr’s Interior Impact
Rejecting two shots per game, Sarr is the NBA’s second-leading blocks leader, just behind fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama. His six-block performance against Portland is tied for the third-most in a game this year.
But his defensive numbers go deeper.
With his 6.3% block percentage (an estimate of total two-point field goal attempts blocked while on the floor), Sarr is in the top five in the league.
Playing against Sarr, opponents statistically have a much harder time scoring. Within six feet, they shoot 8.8% worse than their season average when he guards them. His presence alone withholds scoring in basketball’s most valuable real estate.
Washington’s team block percentage as a team also drops three percent when he sits, showing clear influence when on the hardwood.
That decline is attributed to the effort he gives under the basket. Defending 50% of shots at the rim, Sarr is in the league’s 99th percentile. It’s not all about the blocks, though; it’s about altered shots like these that don’t end up in the box score.
And to put the cherry on top, he’s defended without fouling this season.
Alex Sarr’s Defensive Reputation
When opposing teams play the Wizards, they don’t enter the arena shaking in their boots. But they do know Alex Sarr’s scouting report.
With his numbers and notoriety as a rim protector, slashers have to approach their scoring differently. Coming off a pick-and-roll, they hesitate with him lurking in drop coverage.
Sarr doesn’t just swat away the shots unlucky enough to run into his outstretched arms. He stops shots from being attempted altogether. He’s rendering layups, once automatic, nearly useless.
The pauses, second-guesses, and kickouts that weren’t part of the original game plan. Offenses force adjustments because Sarr returning the ball to the shooter is a real risk.
How Alex Sarr Protects the Paint
Sarr wears a wide defensive toolbelt. At 7-foot, 205 pounds, he pairs height with mobility. Unlike many big men, he can handle switches on pick-and-rolls and guard one through five. He doesn’t fear playing in drop coverage at all, as his quick feet help him guard two players at once.
Washington’s man in the middle operates away from the ball, too. This is perhaps where he’s most dangerous. When an opponent beats his defender on the perimeter, there’s one last line of defense waiting at the rim. Sarr loads up rejections in the shadows of the weak side, putting shots to a halt just before they reach the finish line.
In the league and in life, one of the best teachers is experience. That sentiment rings true with Sarr. Last year, he accumulated 45 more fouls than blocks. This year, that margin has shrunk to just three. That’s largely thanks to his ability to stay vertical on contests, one of the crucial pillars of interior defense. For some perspective, Chet Holmgren has racked up 25 more fouls than blocks this year.
It seems his year-plus in the NBA has also taught him to trust his instincts. Sarr showcases timing on blocks, catching the rhythm of drop-steps and getting up for the swat at the right moment. Add to that his ability to call their bluff’s on pump fakes, he is a tough guy to fool inside the post.
What Alex Sarr’s Defense Means Long-Term
The Wizards are in an interesting place. After hitting the reset button years ago, they have made moves to get them out of the gutter. In the front office’s eyes, Sarr and much of their youth are intentional parts of Washington’s future. They are nearing a planned ascension.
Their pieces include Trae Young and Tre Johnson, guards who are known for many things, but not defense. Sarr, on the other hand, is a big man who complements them by making up for their defensive lapses. These are the squad members meant to balance each other out. Sarr can be the yin to their yang.
Today’s basketball climate is seeing the best offenses in the NBA’s history. That means there has never been a higher demand for defense. Sarr is here to supply it.
It’s been a decade since the Washington Wizards played above league-average defense. If that changes, it will start in the paint.
And it will start with Alex Sarr.
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