Inside The Wizards

Wizards Rookie Shines in Debut

The Washington Wizards should feel good about their No. 2 overall pick.

Jeremy Brener

Oct 6, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Washington Wizards power forward Alex Sarr (20) takes a jumps shot over Toronto Raptors forward Jonathan Mogbo (2) during the second quarter at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Oct 6, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Washington Wizards power forward Alex Sarr (20) takes a jumps shot over Toronto Raptors forward Jonathan Mogbo (2) during the second quarter at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards may have lost their preseason opener in a 125-98 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors, but they can leave the Bell Centre in Montreal knowing that they saw some growth from No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr.

Sarr scored 15 points and knocked down a trio of 3-pointers in 22 minutes of action in the team's preseason opener.

Even though the Raptors opted to sit some of their starters, Toronto raced out to a double-digit lead early in the first quarter. That forced the Wizards to play from behind for most of the night, which was when Sarr made most of his impact.

Sarr struggled mightily in the Las Vegas Summer League, especially with his shooting, so it is comforting to see that there has been some progress made in that department.

Sarr wasn't the only rookie who made his Wizards debut. No. 14 overall pick Bub Carrington scored seven points off the bench while No. 24 overall selection Kyshawn George put eight points on the board off the bench.

Jordan Poole led the Wizards in scoring with 16 points while second-year pro Bilal Coulibaly added 10 points of his own.

The Raptors had seven players score in double figures, including RJ Barrett, who dropped a game-high 17 in just 14 minutes.

While the Wizards struggled to defend against the Raptors, they certainly figured out where their baseline is. It probably isn't where the team wants to be after one game, but there are some positives that the team can take from this game and apply it to practices during training camp.

The Wizards will get a chance to apply what they learned in a rematch with the Raptors later this week at home, but before that game takes place, Washington will visit the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

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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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