Alex Sarr has made major strides in his game during his second season. The mindset switched for him this offseason when he decided to play closer to the basket and use his size on the interior.
During his rookie year, Sarr played more like a wing, floating around the perimeter and shooting from behind the arc. His play last season was full of flashes of two-way potential, but many people were calling him a bust despite making the All-Rookie First Team.
Sarr’s Sophomore Year Jump
In his rookie 2024-25 season, Sarr’s per-game averages were: 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 blocks, 39.4 FG%, 30.8 3PT%, 67.9 FT%.
This season, Alex Sarr is averaging: 18.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.5 blocks, 51.9 FG%, 32.4 3PT%, 75.8 FT%.
He’s shooting his shots much closer to the basket this year compared to last. He’s also not shooting as many three-pointers, further expanding his work in the paint.
Sarr’s dunk attempt percentage is up too, from .077 last season to .138 this season. These changes have led to increased efficiency for Sarr while not sacrificing his usage rate, which has also slightly increased from last year to this year.
Written Off Before He Even Started
Coming in as the second overall pick always comes with high expectations, especially for someone with Sarr’s skillset: a seven-footer with elite rim protection, who’s mobile enough to guard on the perimeter, athletic enough to be an above-the-rim threat, soft enough touch to be a stretch five, and always with a great feel for passing and handling the ball.
When he did not play well during his first summer league game, others started to call him a bust.
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But Sarr has already proven he’s far from the bust the most outlandish of critics tried to label him as.
In the overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons, he set a career-high with 15 rebounds. His rebounding has taken a step forward, but for him to become the main defensive anchor on Washington, his rebound averages have to get up to at least 10 per game.
The block numbers alone, though, are very encouraging. He’s already had a stretch this season of ten straight games with at least two blocks:
Alex Sarr’s Ceiling
Sarr’s continued development is crucial for the Wizards’ plans. They drafted him with the vision of being a cornerstone piece for their future. Sarr is the best Wizards big since Chris Webber in the late 90s. A lot of people wrote Sarr off last season, but now, they are starting to see the vision.
Sarr is looking like a number-one option with this young team. He can keep developing into a player who can become a two-way threat on the court. The ceiling for him can be somewhere between Anthony Davis and Evan Mobley. If he reaches that peak, Washington has a perennial All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year candidate on their hands.
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