Alex Sarr

payitforward · Post #261 » by **payitforward** » Tue Sep 3, 2024 4:11 pm

A full 5 weeks since the last post in this thread about the guy we took #2 in the draft.
Wow.

Meanwhile, every passing mention of Sarr in pretty much any other thread is negative.
Double wow.

Kanyewest · Post #262 » by **Kanyewest** » Tue Sep 3, 2024 4:24 pm

People have been ignoring this thread. Wait wrong thread.

Post #263 » by **nate33** » Tue Sep 3, 2024 5:10 pm

payitforward wrote:A full 5 weeks since the last post in this thread about the guy we took #2 in the draft.
Wow.

Meanwhile, every passing mention of Sarr in pretty much any other thread is negative.
Double wow.

He is a bust!

Just kidding. I'm not very optimistic on him becoming one of our best 3 players, but I think he can pan out to be a starter.

payitforward · Post #264 » by **payitforward** » Tue Sep 3, 2024 6:46 pm

Well... the second pick is often star-crossed it's true!

Edit -- I guess it was the big "0-for" game that freaked everyone out.... It was hard for me to take seriously; if anything I thought it was funny. He'd had a good first game....

9 and 20 · Post #265 » by **9 and 20** » Mon Sep 23, 2024 9:12 pm

Couple weeks out from preseason. What are expectations? Is he starting for us? Had a nightmare that this dude was basically Yi Jianlian.

I'm excited to watch him play but summer league did not inspire a ton of confidence.

payitforward · Post #266 » by **payitforward** » Mon Sep 23, 2024 10:59 pm

Alex Sarr is a can't miss player -- first ballot HOFer who doesn't even know how to play basketball, a total bust. It's so obvious, even to a mere discussion board fan who has literally never (as in not ever) been wrong about a single player or pick that we can know immediately & with confidence just how quick we're going to turn the corner & compete in this league -- & I do mean quick: in fact, if it weren't for uncertainty we could be absolutely sure that we'll win somewhere between 5 & 50 games in the coming season.

After that, mark my words, there's no telling. Of course others may see things in another light, but what difference does that make? After all, no one has any idea where they've hidden the other light switch. Or which ear to screw the bulb into.

farkingidiot · Post #267 » by **farkingidiot** » Wed Sep 25, 2024 8:37 pm

9 and 20 wrote:Couple weeks out from preseason. What are expectations? Is he starting for us? Had a nightmare that this dude was basically Yi Jianlian.

I'm excited to watch him play but summer league did not inspire a ton of confidence.

I know Wiz fans are geeked cause ya have to be, but I honestly have no idea to this day how he went number two. I don't mean to be a hater, but I just don't see anything of note. Never have. I see Hasheeem Thabeet 2.0. (okay, I'm exaggerating), James Wiseman redux. I think there is an over reliance on "promise." I'm actually way more intrigued and excited about Tristan Vucevic and his upside. I know Sarr is young, but I just don't see him being a franchise player. I think you got another possible Marvin Bagley in terms of impact, but I just don't see him being a foundational piece.

tontoz · Post #268 » by **tontoz** » Wed Sep 25, 2024 8:43 pm

Yeah i wasn't a fan at all leading up to the draft. Hope i am wrong but i don't see it. He should be a good help defender but i don't see much else.

keynote · Post #269 » by **keynote** » Wed Sep 25, 2024 9:10 pm

https://youtu.be/iC5OmTH2PmY?si=uZmeAQP5Pr6uyDKH

doclinkin · Post #270 » by **doclinkin** » Wed Sep 25, 2024 10:53 pm

farkingidiot wrote:
I know Wiz fans are geeked cause ya have to be, but I honestly have no idea to this day how he went number two. I don't mean to be a hater, but I just don't see anything of note. Never have. I see Hasheeem Thabeet 2.0. (okay, I'm exaggerating), James Wiseman redux. I think there is an over reliance on "promise." I'm actually way more intrigued and excited about Tristan Vucevic and his upside. I know Sarr is young, but I just don't see him being a franchise player. I think you got another possible Marvin Bagley in terms of impact, but I just don't see him being a foundational piece.

I think you echo the general sense of the board with one carve out: he plays solid positional defense in multiple positions. Guys like Thabeet and Wiseman were slow processors on this end of the court; both were upright totem pole type guys who reacted slow on defense. Their teams hoped they'd be offensive powerhouses based on their raw physicality and length, but they never developed any skill that would keep them on court.

Sarr at the least projects to be a switchable defender on the outside and a useful weakside shot blocker in help defense. That will earn him minutes even if he flails on offense for a while. If he can develop anything like a decent jump shot, that is enough to earn him a role. Those who have high hopes for him envision that he is a game changer in the defensive role, that not only is he a tough problem to solve in perimeter defense 1-4 but that he adds enough strength to stand up against the interior beasts. Every team is going to need an anti-unicorn in the next few years. Wemby, Chet, Porzingis, even goliaths like Embiid and Joker -- there are too many perimeter skilled Centers who can force you to guard them everywhere on the floor. A guy like Sarr starts out with a soccer backfield defender sense of spacing and lateral movement. That plus length will carry him for a while until he can add a skill, one skill, any skill on offense.

Agreed that Vukcevic looks appealing. He lacks exactly what Sarr does have though. Stiff upright clunky and a liability on defense. Not enough muscle to be played as a drop center. He plays smart though, and does have the gumption that Sarr lacks. Vuk WANTS to be a star. Likes the spotlight on offense. If this drives him to get stronger or more mobile in offseason workouts then excellent. Hopefully he earns the minutes and is able to compete for a starting role. Currently though he plays defense like one of those inflatable car wash guys.

doclinkin · Post #271 » by **doclinkin** » Thu Sep 26, 2024 12:16 am

keynote wrote:

Watch on YouTube

Smart. Useful skills training. This is the exact fundamental stuff I want to see him work on. Groove this and add one low post skill and he is a useful player. He's practicing at 1/2 speed but can increase as he gets comfortable with it.

Post #272 » by **Zonkerbl** » Thu Sep 26, 2024 12:39 pm

payitforward wrote:Alex Sarr is a can't miss player -- first ballot HOFer who doesn't even know how to play basketball, a total bust. It's so obvious, even to a mere discussion board fan who has literally never (as in not ever) been wrong about a single player or pick that we can know immediately & with confidence just how quick we're going to turn the corner & compete in this league -- & I do mean quick: in fact, if it weren't for uncertainty we could be absolutely sure that we'll win somewhere between 5 & 50 games in the coming season.

After that, mark my words, there's no telling. Of course others may see things in another light, but what difference does that make? After all, no one has any idea where they've hidden the other light switch. Or which ear to screw the bulb into.

HOF post!

Post #273 » by **nate33** » Thu Sep 26, 2024 1:39 pm

doclinkin wrote:
keynote wrote:

Watch on YouTube

Smart. Useful skills training. This is the exact fundamental stuff I want to see him work on. Groove this and add one low post skill and he is a useful player. He's practicing at 1/2 speed but can increase as he gets comfortable with it.

He looks noticeably bigger in this video. He is no longer an Evan Mobley-esque stick figure.

payitforward · Post #274 » by **payitforward** » Thu Sep 26, 2024 4:16 pm

Zonkerbl wrote:
payitforward wrote:Alex Sarr is a can't miss player -- first ballot HOFer who doesn't even know how to play basketball, a total bust. It's so obvious, even to a mere discussion board fan who has literally never (as in not ever) been wrong about a single player or pick that we can know immediately & with confidence just how quick we're going to turn the corner & compete in this league -- & I do mean quick: in fact, if it weren't for uncertainty we could be absolutely sure that we'll win somewhere between 5 & 50 games in the coming season.

After that, mark my words, there's no telling. Of course others may see things in another light, but what difference does that make? After all, no one has any idea where they've hidden the other light switch. Or which ear to screw the bulb into.

HOF post!

& I meant every (other) word of it too!

closg00 · Post #275 » by **closg00** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 10:33 pm

Anybody know when/where?

Read on Twitter

doclinkin · Post #276 » by **doclinkin** » Mon Sep 30, 2024 1:57 am

closg00 wrote:Anybody know when/where?

Read on Twitter

That was the 16/17 year old Sarr with Overtime Elite. You can see the OTE logo on the court.

payitforward · Post #277 » by **payitforward** » Mon Sep 30, 2024 9:45 pm

First question to ask at least some of you: do you want Alex Sarr to be good? Or do you want him to fail, so that some alternate preference you had can turn out better & make you right?

I hope not the latter, yet I do get a whiff of that from some posts here.

Now, I could be wrong about that! & I hope I am.

payitforward · Post #278 » by **payitforward** » Mon Sep 30, 2024 9:56 pm

In effect, the question I just posed amounts to asking whether you think Reed Sheppard would have been a better pick than Alex: I don't think anyone called for us to pick anyone else who went from 3 to 7 in place of Sarr.

Dillingham went at 8; maybe Dat would have taken a risk on him over Sarr...? But, I'm not sure of that. & maybe Zards would have taken Castle at 2?

AFM · Post #279 » by **AFM** » Mon Sep 30, 2024 10:09 pm

I was fine with the pick, hard to argue with someone who was ranked 1 practically the entire season. Count me in as a supporter of his, I can see the potential easy. He moves well with the ball at his size. Jumper honestly looks nice, just not going in during SL. It doesn't look broken or anything. Also seems like a funny kid on social media ("I'm a real wizard, no harry potter"). It's obviously going to be a few years before he's more than a net negative though.
I'm higher on Bub but that doesn't mean Sarr can't end up a great starter someday.

payitforward · Post #280 » by **payitforward** » Mon Sep 30, 2024 10:19 pm

farkingidiot wrote:I know Wiz fans are geeked cause ya have to be, but I honestly have no idea to this day how he went number two. I don't mean to be a hater, but I just don't see anything of note. Never have. I see Hasheeem Thabeet 2.0. (okay, I'm exaggerating), James Wiseman redux....

Given that Sarr was viewed as a virtual lock to be the #1 (not 2) pick for most of the year, I'd say you need to provide some more of a basis for your "don't see anything of note" conclusion.

Who the H*ll knows how he'll turn out! Of course.... But, he's nothing at all like James Wiseman. Resembles him in no way whatever. & Thabeet even less.

farkingidiot wrote:...I think there is an over reliance on "promise."

Ummmm, what else can you rely on in the draft?

farkingidiot wrote:...I'm actually way more intrigued and excited about Tristan Vucevic and his upside. I know Sarr is young, but I just don't see him being a franchise player. I think you got another possible Marvin Bagley in terms of impact, but I just don't see him being a foundational piece.

He's also nothing like Marvin Bagley as a player! i mean no real resemblance whatever. So... come on... you can do a little better than this!

Let's have some more substantive analysis please!

As to Vukcevic -- I hope you're right to be optimistic about him. He hasn't shown much so far -- but it's no more than a handful of minutes, really. He'll get a good chance to show out this year. Obviously, we'd have been a lot smarter to have picked Trayce Jackson-Davis!