Washington Wizards Head Coach Brian Keefe On Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington

Washington's first-round duo needs to play and develop a lot in year one.

Jul 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (12) dribbles against the Houston Rockets during the first quarter at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Wizards took Frenchman Alex Sarr with the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft and 12 picks later, snagged freshman Bub Carrington out of Pittsburgh. Sarr and the DC native Carrington are both expected to log major minutes in year one and need to develop quickly in order to speed up the rebuild in the nation's capital. New head coach Brian Keefe recently spoke with the Monumental Sports Network about both rookies and what they should try to do in their first season in the NBA.

Keefe on Sarr...

"First of all, it's his character. He's such a high-character person. He's a guy that loves the game. Then, obviously you see the versatility, he brings it to both ends but especially defensively. He can guard all different types of positions.

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (12) shoots the ball against Atlanta Hawks forwards E.J. Liddell (32) and Zaccharie Risacher (10) during the second half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

"He’s got the ability to be a three-level scorer at some point. But one thing that has stood out to us is his ability to see the game and read the game. He’s a good passer, so we want the ball in his hands to explore those opportunities for him to make plays for himself and others."

Keefe on Carrington...

"We’re going to play a little bit positionless to where a lot of people will handle and make decisions. We look at him as a guard who can make plays for himself and for others. You can see that he’s a multi-talented guy who’s a good rebounder that can push it in transition. We’ll see him handle playing on and off the ball."

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (17) drives the ball against Atlanta Hawks guard Nikola Durisic (7) during the second half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports