Is Alexandre Sarr Washington’s Franchise Player?

Has Washington found its star of the future?

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Alexandre Sarr shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected second overall by the Washington Wizards in the first round in the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

NBA teams are often able to land themselves a franchise star with a top-two pick. The track record of these selections is nothing short of great. In last year’s draft, the San Antonio Spurs took Victor Wembanyama first overall and then the Charlotte Hornets snagged Brandon Miller. The year prior, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren were the top two picks.

However, this year’s draft was viewed a bit differently. There weren’t any likely star bets towards the class. Last month, Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young emphasized this by stating that a lot of NBA players viewed the draftees as “role players”.

This was an interesting comment given that his Hawks drafted Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick. Further, he doubled down on Alexandre Sarr, the Washington Wizards’ second overall pick, stating that he doesn’t believe Sarr is Washington’s franchise player moving forward. Many expected the Hawks to select Sarr with the top pick, so perhaps Young’s opinions swayed them away from the French big man.

In either case, do his concerns hold much merit?

Sarr’s appeal and upside are most apparent on the defensive end of the ball. He glides around the court with incredible fluidity, projecting as a potential game-breaking roaming rim protector. He checks all the boxes to thrive within the construct of the NBA’s most valuable defensive archetype.

His questions, though, come on the offensive end of the ball. His movement skills and sound shooting mechanics grant him some enticing flashes, but he has a lot of gaps to fill in terms of his finishing ability and jumper consistency.

Ultimately, Sarr is ways away from being a franchise player for the Wizards. However, given his incredible defensive potential and baseline of offensive tools, it’s very plausible that he develops into just that for Washington in the coming years.

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