Alex Sarr

[Endless Loop]

Was just thinking- Sarr physically reminds me a bit of Kareem. Checked stats- Kareem was 7'1.8 and had a wingspan of 7'5. Weighed 225 pounds.

Sarr is 7'1, wingspan 7'5, weighed 224 at the combine.

Sarr was working on a hook shot earlier this year; would it work for him like Kareem's did?

[doclinkin]

Was just thinking- Sarr physically reminds me a bit of Kareem. Checked stats- Kareem was 7'1.8 and had a wingspan of 7'5. Weighed 225 pounds.

Sarr is 7'1, wingspan 7'5, weighed 224 at the combine.

Sarr was working on a hook shot earlier this year; would it work for him like Kareem's did?

A skyhook is a great shot to learn for a player who wants to avoid contact and injuries down low. If he can develop skill with it out to 10 feet at least. I'd also encourage him to work on his Tim Duncan bank shot. Tough to block and it's basically a ranged lay-up if you can get good with it. Both of these will preserve his health until he can get strong enough to bully players on the low block.

But the player I'd like to see him eventually pattern his game off is a different Euro:

Watch on YouTube

Pau brought a high post face-up 4/5 game to the NBA. Hinting at our current era. His footwork was superior. Passing was nice. He was aggressive early in attacking the basket, which is not Sarr's game, but he entered the league with more success already from European play. I can see some of Pau's dexterity in what Sarr does out there, would like to see him channel it into similar skill sets.

Pau came into the league with 3 years at Barcelona. His Euro stats compare with what Sarr is doing over here:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/pau-gasol-1.html
Though Pau always scored well on the interior.

I always thought Pau would make a good head coach. I'd love to add him to our bench.

[nate33]

Sarr for Lively.

Nico Harrison is stupid enough to believe AD is a franchise cornerstone and can probably be deceived into thinking Sarr fits with him. D Live can be the Wiz big man and defensive anchor.

I love it!

[Frichuela]

Was just thinking- Sarr physically reminds me a bit of Kareem. Checked stats- Kareem was 7'1.8 and had a wingspan of 7'5. Weighed 225 pounds.

Sarr is 7'1, wingspan 7'5, weighed 224 at the combine.

Sarr was working on a hook shot earlier this year; would it work for him like Kareem's did?

A skyhook is a great shot to learn for a player who wants to avoid contact and injuries down low. If he can develop skill with it out to 10 feet at least. I'd also encourage him to work on his Tim Duncan bank shot. Tough to block and it's basically a ranged lay-up if you can get good with it. Both of these will preserve his health until he can get strong enough to bully players on the low block.

But the player I'd like to see him eventually pattern his game off is a different Euro:

Watch on YouTube

Pau brought a high post face-up 4/5 game to the NBA. Hinting at our current era. His footwork was superior. Passing was nice. He was aggressive early in attacking the basket, which is not Sarr's game, but he entered the league with more success already from European play. I can see some of Pau's dexterity in what Sarr does out there, would like to see him channel it into similar skill sets.

Pau came into the league with 3 years at Barcelona. His Euro stats compare with what Sarr is doing over here:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/pau-gasol-1.html
Though Pau always scored well on the interior.

I always thought Pau would make a good head coach. I'd love to add him to our bench.

Hear hear on the Pau Gasol suggestion! Great basketball mind and a true winner both at the NBA and FIBA level.

Question is can Dawkins & co convince him?

[gambitx777]

I don't know why people hate in this kid so much

Sent from my SM-S926U1 using RealGM mobile app

[nate33]

Was just thinking- Sarr physically reminds me a bit of Kareem. Checked stats- Kareem was 7'1.8 and had a wingspan of 7'5. Weighed 225 pounds.

Sarr is 7'1, wingspan 7'5, weighed 224 at the combine.

Sarr was working on a hook shot earlier this year; would it work for him like Kareem's did?

A skyhook is a great shot to learn for a player who wants to avoid contact and injuries down low. If he can develop skill with it out to 10 feet at least. I'd also encourage him to work on his Tim Duncan bank shot. Tough to block and it's basically a ranged lay-up if you can get good with it. Both of these will preserve his health until he can get strong enough to bully players on the low block.

But the player I'd like to see him eventually pattern his game off is a different Euro:

Watch on YouTube

Pau brought a high post face-up 4/5 game to the NBA. Hinting at our current era. His footwork was superior. Passing was nice. He was aggressive early in attacking the basket, which is not Sarr's game, but he entered the league with more success already from European play. I can see some of Pau's dexterity in what Sarr does out there, would like to see him channel it into similar skill sets.

Pau came into the league with 3 years at Barcelona. His Euro stats compare with what Sarr is doing over here:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/pau-gasol-1.html
Though Pau always scored well on the interior.

I always thought Pau would make a good head coach. I'd love to add him to our bench.

Very interesting comparison, Doc.

I'm a little down on Sarr because I want him to be Derrick Lively/Tyson Chandler tier defensive anchor. I figure any offense he brings is just gravy. But perhaps that's just not fair to Sarr. I may be unfairly pigeon-holing him into a rim-runner or catch-and-shoot role while discounting the rest of his offensive potential.

Sarr has lousy hands, but he's not otherwise incompetent on offense. He has real dexterity, court awareness and ball handling skills that might become really useful in more of a high-post role like the way Gasol or even Kevin Garnett played. The only problem is that position seems to have gone extinct in the 3-point era. If defenses successfully cut off the passing lanes, those high post offensive sets typically end up in the big man taking a midrange jumper. That was fine in the early 2000's, but these days, teams want offenses to end up in at-rim attempts, free throws, or 3PAs.

He'll probably be better off spending all of his time honing his pick-and-pop game to become more like Chet Holmgren.

[Frichuela]

I don't know why people hate in this kid so much

Sent from my SM-S926U1 using RealGM mobile app

I believe his softness and calm demeanor is what disappoints some people. He clearly needs to strengthen his body and come back next season with a more aggressive mindset. Crossing my fingers that the addition of Marcus Smart will help with the latter…

[DCZards]

I don't know why people hate in this kid so much

It’s what happens when half the board wanted the Zards to draft someone else.

[DCZards]

I don't know why people hate in this kid so much

Sent from my SM-S926U1 using RealGM mobile app

I believe his softness and calm demeanor is what disappoints some people. He clearly needs to strengthen his body and come back next season with a more aggressive mindset. Crossing my fingers that the addition of Marcus Smart will help with the latter…

I don’t think his calm demeanor is a problem. But I do agree that Sarr could be more aggressive. Hopefully, that happens with more muscle and experience.

[The Consiglieri]

I don't know why people hate in this kid so much

It’s what happens when half the board wanted the Zards to draft someone else.

I think if we went through the pre-draft thread, we'd fine nearly all the anti-Sarr takes currently coming from people who were very much pining for other specific guys. If there's one thing watching drafts should convince people of, over the years, don't fall too in love with specific prospects, particularly when you're outside the top 2-3 or 4 of a draft because your team is rarely going to take your guy. They just aren't. Period. Last year was different because it was top 2, but with no consensus to speak of, it did devolve into a "who knows" who goes there scenario, though I think Sarr carried the highest odds in betting sites.

I get that people didn't want him, and the arguments are reasonable, I just think that by and large, he was probably the wisest selection when considering ceiling and floor, with a particular emphasis on the former. So far, its played out like that for the most part, with Sarr floating inside the top 3-5 most of the year, and winning rookie of the month honors at least once if memory serves. Not that that is defining or whatever, I just think some people never wanted him specifically and the kind of player he represented, and so whatever pluses he shows, since they don't fill the boxes desired, are largely ignored, while the weaknesses, self-evident generally, are hyper scrutinized.

Fair enough, wouldn't surprise me if he ends up not being a top 2 guy in the draft with the fulness of time, could end up being 5th or 10th, who knows, though I think it's funny that the first official redraft I saw published, had pushed him up to 1.01, ahead of Risacher, and many of the semi-darlings, people on the board preferred (my memory is the preferences were typically Castle, Shepard, and Clingan, (edey had a fan or two as well) along with Sarr, I don't remember anyone being particularly interested in Risacher), to be fair, much like '22 when we made a terrible error, or in '20 when we took the 2nd best option, this board just about wholly preferred the actual best player in the class. Well, the preferred guys of this board do, still litter the bulk of the top 4, and even Clingan, whose a bit lower, is still at his real draft day slot. Of the guys that some contingent or particular person liked, that did fall like a rock in esteem, its really limited to Holland (who I did like myself, though not more than Sarr) and Dillingham, but it's not like either of them have been Davis level horrors, Holland opened strong while tailing off, while Dillingham is playing for a 2nd tier contender and minutes are hard to find).

Regardless, it is a good reminder to not get too enamored with any particular prospect, because your team is just rarely going to take that player unless its patently obvious, like the Commanders choosing between Maye and Daniels last year, or the top 4 for the Wiz this year, seeming to be patently obvious, even if the order after 1.01 is a bit less clear.

[tontoz]

A 48% TS for a 7 footer is pretty bad. The main problem is 3-10 feet. 28% of his shots are from that range and he's shooting 32%.

[9 and 20]

I don't know why people hate in this kid so much

Sent from my SM-S926U1 using RealGM mobile app

I believe his softness and calm demeanor is what disappoints some people. He clearly needs to strengthen his body and come back next season with a more aggressive mindset. Crossing my fingers that the addition of Marcus Smart will help with the latter…

'People' might be limited to a couple of individuals who might just be silky Johnson level haters on everything the Wiz do. I think most are annoyed at the soft layups attempts and turnaround fadeaways and getting shoved out of the way on the glass. He does some good stuff - passing, ball handling, outside shot seems to improving. But he sucks (right now) at traditional big man stuff and that's super annoying to watch, in a whole season of super annoying, terrible play.

[doclinkin]

Pau brought a high post face-up 4/5 game to the NBA. Hinting at our current era. His footwork was superior. Passing was nice. He was aggressive early in attacking the basket, which is not Sarr's game, but he entered the league with more success already from European play. I can see some of Pau's dexterity in what Sarr does out there, would like to see him channel it into similar skill sets.

Pau came into the league with 3 years at Barcelona. His Euro stats compare with what Sarr is doing over here:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/pau-gasol-1.html
Though Pau always scored well on the interior.

I always thought Pau would make a good head coach. I'd love to add him to our bench.

Very interesting comparison, Doc.

I'm a little down on Sarr because I want him to be Derrick Lively/Tyson Chandler tier defensive anchor. I figure any offense he brings is just gravy. But perhaps that's just not fair to Sarr. I may be unfairly pigeon-holing him into a rim-runner or catch-and-shoot role while discounting the rest of his offensive potential.

Sarr has lousy hands, but he's not otherwise incompetent on offense. He has real dexterity, court awareness and ball handling skills that might become really useful in more of a high-post role like the way Gasol or even Kevin Garnett played. The only problem is that position seems to have gone extinct in the 3-point era. If defenses successfully cut off the passing lanes, those high post offensive sets typically end up in the big man taking a midrange jumper. That was fine in the early 2000's, but these days, teams want offenses to end up in at-rim attempts, free throws, or 3PAs.

Yes. But Sarr is a proficient passer in the short roll as well, which creates additional opportunities if they stop his attack. Back door or kick to the corners for 3. If he gets proficient at that pull-up jumper it's not a bad thing either. Porzingis used this as an effective weapon in his year here. Saved him wear and tear and injuries that he was encouraged to take that shot. It's a sneaky good tool to have. Given that teams will allow you that shot it becomes useful especially in post season play when everything else tightens up.

As an outside-in 4/5, Sarr is better at dribbling the ball than he is at catching it on the run. I don't expect his hands to get better. If they do, great, but meanwhile let him improve on the things he already does. Instead of thinking he will become an entirely different player. Pau was the best face-up big I could think of that both handled & passed well. IF his jumper gets reliable, I can see Sarr initiating from the top of the key the way Zinger did. This leaves room underneath for us to add a monster who can take the traditional Big Man duties. Either a true 5 or better yet a switchable 4/5 who has an interior game. Soft hands to catch on the Big to Big pass.

I can sketch it out on a napkin but: If Sarr is actually the ballhandler in the pick and roll he can blow past the bigs who challenge him and attack the lane. If his lane is cut off there he can pass over the defense to feed the backdoor cutter. Yeah, I agree he should also be working on pick and pop, not only taking the catch and shoot 3's when wide open. Currently when attacking his inclination is to pull up on the mid-range and take that shot instead of driving to the hoop. Or else he passes to the corners. I don't hate it if he can get good at it. Both of those are useful skills. He's tall, has a high release point, he can get that shot off. Sarr hitting jumpers at the FT line and out will still force teams to leave the paint. So a guy like Bilal can dive to the rim for the alley oop pass or the putback dunk.

If he gets bigger and stronger, great. Until then I see what he thinks his game is, and just want him to show that he can do it. Work inward from there once he gets consistent and reliable.

[AFM]

I really don't think the guy will ever be a center. He'll get bigger but he'll never have a brain transplant. He's a finesse player who can play C or PF on D. Like I said he's more like a 7' Rashard Lewis than a Shaq.

Watch on YouTube

[closg00]

I don't know why people hate in this kid so much

Sent from my SM-S926U1 using RealGM mobile app

I believe his softness and calm demeanor is what disappoints some people. He clearly needs to strengthen his body and come back next season with a more aggressive mindset. Crossing my fingers that the addition of Marcus Smart will help with the latter…

It's not hate, it's more wishing he was someone else. Chet for example, he is a stickman as-well, but he plays with grit and fire, this is typically something that cannot be learned. One does not usually go-through a personality transformation, but Alex could be that guy with enough weight/muscle/experience to have that confidence, we shall see....

[AFM]

Somehow I've never seen this--look at Sarr at 16:

Watch on YouTube

[AFM]

Alex SARS

Watch on YouTube

[penbeast0]

I don't know why people hate in this kid so much

Sent from my SM-S926U1 using RealGM mobile app

I believe his softness and calm demeanor is what disappoints some people. He clearly needs to strengthen his body and come back next season with a more aggressive mindset. Crossing my fingers that the addition of Marcus Smart will help with the latter…

It's not hate, it's more wishing he was someone else. Chet for example, he is a stickman as-well, but he plays with grit and fire, this is typically something that cannot be learned. One does not usually go-through a personality transformation, but Alex could be that guy with enough weight/muscle/experience to have that confidence, we shall see....

It does seem that recently he's actually been rebounding which is a good sign. If he can get rebounding and shooting efficiency up to league average starting big, his quickness and shotblocking will make him a very good NBA player.

I really don't think the guy will ever be a center. He'll get bigger but he'll never have a brain transplant. He's a finesse player who can play C or PF on D. Like I said he's more like a 7' Rashard Lewis than a Shaq.

To be fair, Shaq is a much more mythological and far less common type of player (he and Wilt basically) than the unicorn type 3 point shooting big like Porzingis, Wemby, etc. He'd probably be best served by the old style enforcer model of PF than our current guard/3 wing/1 big type lineups but those type of players are becoming dinosaurs and while it might serve him best, that doesn't mean it would serve the team best. I'd still like to see him out there with Holmes a bit more at least this year.

[BearlyBallin]

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Ended the game with 34 points

[Despy]

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