Alex Sarr

[Wizardspride]

Basically Nate hates Sarr and would trade him for Jarrell Eddie

Pretty much.

[Benjammin]

Basically Nate hates Sarr and would trade him for Jarrell Eddie

Pretty much.

I don't see the need to decide what kind of player Sarr will be this early in his career. But if others have that great a crystal ball then mazel tov.

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro XL using Tapatalk

[nate33]

Basically Nate hates Sarr and would trade him for Jarrell Eddie

Pretty much.

This is not true. AFM is joking, but I think the rest of you might actually believe it.

I'm a little skeptical that Sarr will pan out to be much of a difference maker, but I recognize that he is young and has intriguing potential so I'll be patient. I just reject this silly notion that we should let him play like a small forward. The guy is so freaking far from being a small forward in terms of offensive skill that the idea is laughable.

[Wizardspride]

Basically Nate hates Sarr and would trade him for Jarrell Eddie

Pretty much.

This is not true. AFM is joking, but I think the rest of you might actually believe it.

I'm a little skeptical that Sarr will pan out to be much of a difference maker, but I recognize that he is young and has intriguing potential so I'll be patient. I just reject this silly notion that we should let him play like a small forward. The guy is so freaking far from being a small forward in terms of offensive skill that the idea is laughable.

I don't believe he's a small forward...but I'm not pigeonholing him as a back to the basket center either.

No comparisons to any other player.

For better or worse, he's Alex Sarr...whatever that ultimately means.

[DCZards]

I don't believe he's a small forward...but I'm not pigeonholing him as a back to the basket center either.

No comparisons to any other player.

For better or worse, he's Alex Sarr...whatever that ultimately means.

Like I said “let Sarr be Sarr.”

But, no, he’s not a SF nor has he been playing like a SF.

[tontoz]

I am just glad Sarr has shown some promise hitting 3s. That opens the door to him being effective at the 4..... hey that rhymes....

[AFM]

Basically Nate hates Sarr and would trade him for Jarrell Eddie

Pretty much.

This is not true. AFM is joking, but I think the rest of you might actually believe it.

I'm a little skeptical that Sarr will pan out to be much of a difference maker, but I recognize that he is young and has intriguing potential so I'll be patient. I just reject this silly notion that we should let him play like a small forward. The guy is so freaking far from being a small forward in terms of offensive skill that the idea is laughable.

I was joking but all humor has a little bit of truth behind it. Otherwise it's just absurdist humor. I think you are being a little harsh on the kid, but I also don't know exactly where he projects. He's an interesting player. And like I said, he'll never be a "REAL" C to me--unless he gets a brain transplant. It's not just his weight--he doesn't play like a C really. He clearly wants to shoot 3s and if he's around the basket he favors the finesse game. To me that screams some sort of stretch power forward.

[9 and 20]

The 'centers' like Mobley and Holmgren that Sarr might get compared to both play lots of minutes with other bigs. Does that make them centers or forwards? Or, like with Sarr, does it not really matter.

[DCZards]

The 'centers' like Mobley and Holmgren that Sarr might get compared to both play lots of minutes with other bigs. Does that make them centers or forwards? Or, like with Sarr, does it not really matter.

OKC signed Hartenstein during the offseason because it was apparent that the skinny Chet was no match for big, physical centers.

[prime1time]

How many big men go 0-15 in any game, get universally criticized for being too soft and has everyone saying that he needs to play like a traditional big and just keeps on going about his business like he doesn't care? Fast forward 8 months in the last 11 or 12 games the Wizards have clearly given him the green light to do his thing on the offensive side of the ball. For the first 41 games of the season, he averaged 10.9 fga/game. And 4.6 3pa/game.

In his last 11 games he's averaging 15.2 fga/game and 6.2 3pa/game. The weird comments on this board explain why KD simply chose to list his height as 6'9 even though he's clearly taller.

3 things are clear to me

1) The Wizards are giving Sarr time to develop his game. We're not under any pressure to win and thus, Sarr has free reign to experiment.

2) If you watch basketball long enough, you can learn a lot by how teammates react to a players shot selection/play style. Maybe I missed it but I haven't seen any eye rolls. I haven't seen any frustrated faces. Or, "I can't believe Sarr is bombing another 3" reactions. The wizards are playing like it's business as usual. That tells me that he's putting in the time in practice to do these things in the game. He's not just showing up and BS'ing it. He's actually really working hard at it and he's shown more improvement from summer league until now of any player that I can remember.

3) He's having improving and having success. To be clear he was committed to this process before he had significant success but the success that he had will emboldened his commitment. People who claim that I'm wrong or whining about what's happening are ignoring the fact that the train has already left the station.

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=NBLNextStars
Look at the first two plays. He leads the fast break. Then he calls for a Kispert screen. And finds a cutting Bub Carrington. He's a forward who's playing the 5. If he's doing it in games, he's doing it in practice. How many 5's spend time as the ball handler in PnR situations during practice? Does Brook Lopez do that? How about Myles Turner. Like it, dislike it. Just admit I'm right and we'll see how the experiment turns out lol. Btw, that was a pinpoint pass off the dribble one handed. Please stop disrespecting this man dear lord.

[AFM]

Talk to em prime time!!!!!!

[nate33]

The 'centers' like Mobley and Holmgren that Sarr might get compared to both play lots of minutes with other bigs. Does that make them centers or forwards? Or, like with Sarr, does it not really matter.

OKC signed Hartenstein during the offseason because it was apparent that the skinny Chet was no match for big, physical centers.

Exactly. Ideally, Sarr pans out to be roughly equivalent to Chet, JJJ and Mobley. A guy who can play center often, but a guy who is likely to have trouble against the real big, physical centers. That means we will eventually have to find or acquire a Hartenstein, or Steven Adams, or Zach Edey or Jarrett Allen to help weather the load. That's fine.

But I don't think we ought to invest major pick capital to land that big grunt of a center since he is likely to be a part time guy who might start, but probably won't finish games. You can find second-tier centers like that pretty easily every offseason in free agency. This summer, for example, Clint Capela will be a free agent. If we were ready to leave "developmental mode" and enter "competitive mode" we could add him in the offseason. (We're not ready, so that's a bad idea. But it's just an example.)

[tontoz]

To that point the Raps signed Poeltle to a reasonable deal and he is a good center. Guys like that aren't hard to find.

[doclinkin]

Pretty much.

This is not true. AFM is joking, but I think the rest of you might actually believe it.

I'm a little skeptical that Sarr will pan out to be much of a difference maker, but I recognize that he is young and has intriguing potential so I'll be patient. I just reject this silly notion that we should let him play like a small forward. The guy is so freaking far from being a small forward in terms of offensive skill that the idea is laughable.

I was joking but all humor has a little bit of truth behind it. Otherwise it's just absurdist humor. I think you are being a little harsh on the kid, but I also don't know exactly where he projects. He's an interesting player. And like I said, he'll never be a "REAL" C to me--unless he gets a brain transplant. It's not just his weight--he doesn't play like a C really. He clearly wants to shoot 3s and if he's around the basket he favors the finesse game. To me that screams some sort of stretch power forward.

I've said if he wants a model for what he is trying to do then Porzingis and Pau are two he should be watching footage of. Both are/were comfortable playing a face-up game to draw opponents out from the paint, and due to slender frames (especially when younger) they were safest when not banging in traffic. Both still showed enough defensive chops that they could stifle players on the interior against all but the real goliaths. Both could score on the interior, and show aggression in doing so, but were better at getting there by attacking from face-up outside the paint. I said Pau in particular since Sarr has shown a decent feel for passing off the drive. Rare that you get a 4/5 rookie with a positive asst/TO ratio. I'd like to see that strength developed. Pau played like a point pivot, especially in FIBA and Olympic play.

There is room for a finesse Big to be effective in this league. I do think however we will need strong rebounders to play with him, and don't expect Sarr to ever be dominant in that stat. Its only partly hands or muscle, it is more inclination and instincts. The best rebounders show a knack for it early. Why Bub is often the top rebounder when he is on court. That is a skillset that is pretty indelible, rarely changes over a player's career. You are good at it early or you never are. Occasionally you will see a player have a one year blip under different coaching, but usually that reverts to the mean. (Kuzma when motivated, but otherwise no.)

Personally I want Sarr to groove that 3pt shot. Off the dribble or pick and pop. That's a skill that reliably does improve. If he is hitting it with confidence then many other things flow from that. Few players are able to block a 7 footer who can hit a jumper with a high release point. Groove it and he'll be able to hit it quicker with less wind up. We've seen how players like Bertans would bend defenses by inverting the court and making players chase a 6'10" sniper with a hairtrigger. He's quicker off the dribble than most bigs, so if they send a 4/5 to him on a closeout, he can wiggle past and have more room to finish. Or dump to the cutter. Since Sarr already takes the shot, he might as well get good at it. Make it a weapon. Start there then work his way in.

If we are not drafting Maluach and playing with a Super-Cleveland wing post set up, then I want strong versatile mobile defenders at the 4 spot. A rebounding power 4 who can defend the paint as needed. Why I really want to trade up and snatch Rasheer Fleming, since his 40% 3pt shot means you can go full Boston and play anybody outside-in on offense. Or Sorber. Yaxel. Johni. CMB. Queen. JT Toppin.

I'm not worried about how things traditionally are built. I think the metagame is in flux right now and there are a few ways we can experiment to see what works. Clearly Cleveland is on to something, at least in the regular season. A skilled big can play next to a less skilled one if they are both mobile and playing with talented ballhandlers. We have unselfish passers and willing defenders and good length. Personally I think we can start with a basis of good defense, lose with it while we are offensively inept-ish, then add a 1a scorer in the next draft.

I myself am not looking to shop Sarr in favor of an upgrade at 5. His game is different than a traditional 5 but feel that the team can use that as a strength if they think he is worth developing.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Let's be honest for a second. From where Sarr was in Summer League to where Sarr is now, the improvement has been remarkable. In Sarr's last 11 games he's shooting 36.8% from 3 on 6.2 3-point attempts a game. And he routinely shows flashes of advanced skill. I know people won't like the 2p fg % but for a player who had his 3-point shooting questioned and was projected as a major offensive project it's hard to describe this year as anything but a resounding success.

For Sarr detractors the story of this season will be his 2p fg% but for people who want to get excited about Sarr the reality is that he's been better offensively than many of us expected after summer league.

What about Sarr's defense?

[DCZards]

The 'centers' like Mobley and Holmgren that Sarr might get compared to both play lots of minutes with other bigs. Does that make them centers or forwards? Or, like with Sarr, does it not really matter.

OKC signed Hartenstein during the offseason because it was apparent that the skinny Chet was no match for big, physical centers.

Exactly. Ideally, Sarr pans out to be roughly equivalent to Chet, JJJ and Mobley. A guy who can play center often, but a guy who is likely to have trouble against the real big, physical centers. That means we will eventually have to find or acquire a Hartenstein, or Steven Adams, or Zach Edey or Jarrett Allen to help weather the load. That's fine.

But I don't think we ought to invest major pick capital to land that big grunt of a center since he is likely to be a part time guy who might start, but probably won't finish games. You can find second-tier centers like that pretty easily every offseason in free agency. This summer, for example, Clint Capela will be a free agent. If we were ready to leave "developmental mode" and enter "competitive mode" we could add him in the offseason. (We're not ready, so that's a bad idea. But it's just an example.)

Agree. It’s perfectly fine for the Zards to want—and need—to add a true center to play alongside Sarr in much the same way that Hartenstein plays with Holmgren. A big like that might be needed to match up with the the tough, physical centers, although there are fewer and fewer of those type of centers in the NBA.

Like you, I wouldn’t use any draft capital (at least not in the top 5) on a big who would likely end up sharing minutes at the 5 with Sarr. Can probably find a decent big in free agency or via trade.

[prime1time]

Let's be honest for a second. From where Sarr was in Summer League to where Sarr is now, the improvement has been remarkable. In Sarr's last 11 games he's shooting 36.8% from 3 on 6.2 3-point attempts a game. And he routinely shows flashes of advanced skill. I know people won't like the 2p fg % but for a player who had his 3-point shooting questioned and was projected as a major offensive project it's hard to describe this year as anything but a resounding success.

For Sarr detractors the story of this season will be his 2p fg% but for people who want to get excited about Sarr the reality is that he's been better offensively than many of us expected after summer league.

What about Sarr's defense?

Defense is harder to evaluate. Long term, I don't see him as a 5. It doesn't make senes to take a ferrari and park it in a garage. Sarr's ideal defensive position imo is as a rover. Similar to KD or Giannis. As for his defense this year, I don't believe in stocks as a defensive metric. You'd have to sit down and actually watch games, understand what the defense is asking him to do and then evaluate him in that context.

On the surface, I'd say the defense has been as advertised. He switches 1-5. Some guards get by him, but the defense has looked solid. He does block and alter shots at the rim. In general though, the fact that the Wizards aren't competitive leaves our defense devoid of a competitive edge. Without that competitive edge, it's really hard for me to definitively evaluate his defense. With that being said like I argued in the draft thread on Maluach. The mere fact that we are able to switch 1-5 is a testimony to Sarr's defensively versatility and when you add in the rim protection on top of that, you are seeing a player that has the ability to be a very good defensive player.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=WashingtonWizards
Look at this move at 1:02. Top of the key. Hard dribble to the right, behind the back to the left, spin move and finish. I asked a question when we first drafted him. What kind of player does Sarr want to be. Looking at him and comparing him to a traditional 5 is silly. He plays like a 3 and D wing who's trying to improve his off the dribble game. He's a forward. People might disagree but his growth curve is likely to be closer to a Jaylen Brown than an Evan Mobley.

His handle needs tightening. His finishing needs improving. But this is the player he wants to be. And it's clearly the skills that he's working on. Compare 19 year old Sarr to 20 year old Jaylen Brown. Brown averaged 6.6/2.8/.8 on 34.1% from 3 and 1.7 3pa. Sarr makes way more sense if you look at him as a wing who's trying to improve his offensive game than as a big who's needs to bang inside. And this is probably why he pushed to come to DC. Because DC would let him explore this part of his game instead of pigeon holding him into being a traditional 5. You can't look at that play and believe he's training and practicing to play like Daniel Gafford or Evan Mobley. And this is what I suspected all along.

You're probably better up looking up Dirk Nowitzki highlights tbh. He's a 4.

I said Sarr looks like a 4 long before the season started and got some push back. I didn't buy him as a center then and still dont. In either position he has a long way to go to be an effective player.

The only young guy who is having any "success" is Kyshawn. The others have been varying degrees of bad, both this season and this month.

Sarr is a tall forward who needs to be paired with a burly center.

Trade back. Take a chance. Draft DQ

He's a smart passer and a slick post scorer. Imagine Sarr spotted up in the corner drawing a help defender. Queen slashing to the hoop is guaranteed to draw a foul or get a layup.

[Despy]

A big burly center may be hard to defend but when sarr is out by thr three point line that center is going to be useless

[prime1time]

Sarr is a unicorn. Once this is accepted real analysis of Sarr's game can start. The story of this season is Alex Sarr's remarkable journey from going 0-15 in summer league to looking like a dominant offensive force. In the history of basketball I can't think of another similar player arc.

Imo, Sarr still has a long way to go. What's happening right now is that he's destroying teams defensive schemes. Teams are coming in trying to guard him like a 5 who wants to shoot but sucks at it, and Sarr is just torching them. The reason teams are reluctant to change their scheme is because they are more worried about losing rim protection than they are defending Sarr 3's. I said it about Troy Brown Jr, I said it about Rui Hachimura, I said it about Deni Avidija and I'll say it about Sarr.

Sarr's ability to shoot the 3 will determine the future of his career. Percentages don't matter. The only thing that matters is are teams fearful of your three 3-point shooting enough to alter their defense. We saw this in Utah where they decided to switch everything and then Poole quickly took their center off the bounce for a layup. In Sarr's last 12 games he is shooting 38.1% from 3 on 6.3 3's a game. But this stat doesn't even do it justice because the Wizards have drastically reduced his minutes. In the last 2 games Sarr has attempted 9 3's in 32 minutes (vs. the Nuggets) 9 3s in 22 minutes (vs. the Blazers) and 8 3's in 23 minutes (vs. the Jazz).

For the season Steph Curry averages .35 3's attempted per minute. In Sarr's last 3 games he is shooting .33 3's per minute. And in his last two games he is shooting .37 3's per minute. To put it another way on a per minute basis, in the last 2 games Alex Sarr is attempting more 3's per minute than Steph Curry on average. What's even crazier is that Alex is having success.