Wizards Top Pick Shows Ceiling in Win over Hornets

Washington's Alex Sarr showed his sky-high ceiling in a Thursday-night win over Charlotte.

Nov 13, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) goes up to dunk during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

In Thursday’s Eastern Conference showdown between the Wizards and Hornets, No. 2 pick Alex Sarr showcased his sky-high potential as a modern big man.

In the Wizard’s win — just its fourth of the entire season — Sarr was paramount, scoring 19 points on near-50% shooting, adding nine rebounds, five assists and a pivotal three blocks.

Sarr has an unprecedentedly bad Summer League, leading many to believe the Wizards had made a mistake in taking him No. 2 overall.

But in the NBA, he’s quickly turned that notion on its head, providing some of the best shot-blocking in the entire league at just 19. While the offense is still a major work in progress, it’s certainly workable enough to become a threat down the line.

Across 22 games, he’s averaged 10.9 points, 6.3 rebounds. 2.0 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. He’s shot 39% overall and 27% from beyond the arc, pretty lousy numbers, generally, but it already showing improvement in that area.

In his last three games, he’s scored 47 points in total, hitting 18 of 41 for 44% overall. He’s even seven triples in those contests, shooting 50% in two of them.

Many forget that while he was taken No. 2 overall, Sarr was still very much a project selection, needing development to become the player the organization hopes he can be.

While it hasn’t been perfect, his debut season has lived up to the hype.

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