Inside The Wizards

Wizards Center Among Best Rookies

The Washington Wizards have one of the best first-year players in the NBA.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 13, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) goes up to dunk while defended by San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Nov 13, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) goes up to dunk while defended by San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
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Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr is learning a lot in his first season in the NBA.

Sarr, 19, was the No. 2 overall pick out of France and is slated to be the Wizards' next great big man for years to come if he follows through on his potential.

Rookie Wire editor Cody Taylor ranked the top rookies in the league and placed Sarr at No. 9 on his list.

"Alexandre Sarr is off to a tremendous start on the defensive end of the court, ranking fourth in the league in blocked shots (27). He had recorded at least one block in 12 straight games before failing to record one in his last outing on Monday. He is one of eight rookies to score at least 20 points in a game and looks increasingly comfortable on that side of the ball with each appearance. He is settling in as a two-way player and a franchise cornerstone for the Wizards," Taylor writes.

The rookies that ranked higher than Sarr were Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers), Bub Carrington (Washington Wizards), Zach Edey (Memphis Grizzlies), Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs), Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks), Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies), Dalton Knecht (Los Angeles Lakers) and Jared McCain (Philadelphia 76ers).

Sarr will have chances all year long to grow and learn without the threat of another player stealing minutes from him. That gives Sarr the green light to make mistakes without fear of punishment of being benched.

Not all rookies are as lucky as Sarr to be given a starting spot right away in the league, but with the Wizards rebuilding, they have the means to do it in hopes of him growing quicker.

Sarr and the Wizards are back in action tomorrow against the Indiana Pacers. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. ET.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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