Washington Wizards: Alex Sarr’s Case for Rookie of the Year

After a tough Summer League slate, can Washington’s top pick rebound to win Rookie of the Year?

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (12) dribbles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Forward Alex Sarr was essentially the consensus No. 1 prospect for most of the 2024 NBA Draft cycle, eventually landing with the Washington Wizards at No. 2.

But after an unprecedentedly bad Summer League, several are wondering if the Frenchman can put together a solid rookie season, much less win the league’s coveted Rookie of the Year Award.

And despite the murkiness surrounding him right now, Sarr is still fully capable of looking like best player in the class.

Lets get the tough stuff out of the way: Sarr averaged just 5.5 points per game on 19% shooting as a 7-foot center in four games at Las Vegas (including what is likely the worst Summer League game of all time, 0 points on 0-for-15 shooting).

But, there’s still reason for positivity regarding Sarr’s short and long-term future.

Firstly, Summer League isn’t the end all. Of course, you’d rather your top prospect succeed. But he has, at absolute minimum, four more years to prove himself. Four games is nothing in the grand scheme.

Secondly, Sarr’s position specifically somewhat hinges on others. Not to discredit the rest of the Wizards Summer League squad, but they weren’t built around helping Sarr succeed.

With Perth in the NBL, Sarr was able to put together a campaign of 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in just 17 minutes, shooting 52% overall and 30% from beyond the arc. That line should be surprisingly replicable for a 7-foot paint protector who can get easy offense on the interior.

If Sarr can play-finish at an average to above average rate, and block around two shots per game — very doable given his defensive skill and 2.5 blocks per game at Summer League — he could put himself in position to bring home some hardware.

The Wizards are an essential blank slate, capable of offering Sarr all the points, rebounds and blocks. But he’ll only need to keep things simple in order to have a good debut season, and build from there.

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