Inside The Wizards

Wizards Rookie Unbothered by Starting Lineup

The Washington Wizards have a player who doesn't put much stock in the starting lineup.

Jeremy Brener

Oct 9, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) rebounds during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Oct 9, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) rebounds during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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Alex Sarr is the only player that has started every game for the Washington Wizards so far this season, but the French rookie doesn't place much stock in that statistic.

Instead, Sarr is striving for something different.

“I mean it's nice I will say but at the same time I focus on my production and what I can really add to the team,” Sarr said. “That's more a coaches thing, but no matter who's on the floor the most important thing is who stays on the floor so [I’m] just trying to have impact when I'm on the floor.”

There has been a lot of shuffling around with the Wizards starting lineup to open the season, trying to figure out which combination of players works best to begin a game.

While Bilal Coulibaly, Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma likely would also have started each game if they stayed healthy over the course of the season, Sarr's inclusion in the starting lineup as a rookie shows signs of confidence from the team.

The Wizards, especially after losing 13 straight games, have every right to shake things up and move Sarr to the bench to try something new. But that hasn't been the case.

Sarr's inclusion in the starting lineup has shown that the Wizards are putting a lot of stock into his future and that the team values what he brings to the table.

This isn't to say the Wizards wouldn't care if they had him coming off the bench, but it's clear that the team is putting in confidence in the young big man.

However, like Sarr said, he is more concerned about finishing games than starting them, so he will continue to put in the work in order to accomplish that goal.

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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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