Alex Sarr

[payitforward]

May it be so!

[prime1time]

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=OTE
I guess he's doing this online series.

[gambitx777]

He's got so much potential and he's not as rail thin as I was afraid of. Some protein shakes and a good lifting routine and he'll be looking like D Howard in no time.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using RealGM mobile app

[9 and 20]

I'm hopeful but it's not just the weight. Chet Holmgren is looks like a young Adam Silver on a diet of jelly beans and coffee and he still plays more aggressively than Sarr. Sarr needs a complete makeover in how he approaches the game. Time to rebuild it from the ground up - get him in weight room but also in the gym with Val and Richaun Holmes. Even Bilal could help. The skill is there, the instincts on defense are there - just need that Caron Butler Tuff Juice added to the mix.

Reminds me a bit of young Deni, actually. He would go up soft every time his first few years in the league. It's only basically this year that Deni found the aggression at the rim. Hopefully Sarr figures it out sooner rather than later.

[NatP4]

He's got so much potential and he's not as rail thin as I was afraid of. Some protein shakes and a good lifting routine and he'll be looking like D Howard in no time.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using RealGM mobile app

What’s concerning is that it’s not really a strength thing IMO. He’s allergic to setting screens or even attempting to rebound, doesn’t box out at all, doesn’t know how to seal off his man to receive a pass/post up, doesn’t rim run at all, doesn’t roll out of the PNR ever. It’s always a huge red flag when bigs have bad hands, and are allergic to contact.

On the flip side, the team is horribly coached and is totally misusing him, has really poor guard play. We saw the flaws in Carrington’s game yesterday as he lacks any ability to get into the paint/finish, frequently dribbled the air out of the ball and didn’t set anyone up for easy looks all game. He’s a perimeter-oriented 2 guard, not a true PG. When he sits, they force George into the PG role, it gets even uglier.

Sarr is in a bad spot. Most of his looks are from getting the ball in isolation at the top of the key, and trying to create his own shot. They also came out and played drop coverage instead of switching, which is probably never going to be a strength for Sarr. He got abused all game long in PNR. Sheppard dissected that drop coverage all game with great passes for open 3s/dump offs for layups, and making mid range jump shots/floaters.

[bgroban]

He's got so much potential and he's not as rail thin as I was afraid of. Some protein shakes and a good lifting routine and he'll be looking like D Howard in no time.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using RealGM mobile app

What’s concerning is that it’s not really a strength thing IMO. He’s allergic to setting screens or even attempting to rebound, doesn’t box out at all, doesn’t know how to seal off his man to receive a pass/post up, doesn’t rim run at all, doesn’t roll out of the PNR ever. It’s always a huge red flag when bigs have bad hands, and are allergic to contact.

On the flip side, the team is horribly coached and is totally misusing him, has really poor guard play. We saw the flaws in Carrington’s game yesterday as he lacks any ability to get into the paint/finish, frequently dribbled the air out of the ball and didn’t set anyone up for easy looks all game. He’s a perimeter-oriented 2 guard, not a true PG. When he sits, they force George into the PG role, it gets even uglier.

Sarr is in a bad spot. Most of his looks are from getting the ball in isolation at the top of the key, and trying to create his own shot. They also came out and played drop coverage instead of switching, which is probably never going to be a strength for Sarr. He got abused all game long in PNR. Sheppard dissected that drop coverage all game with great passes for open 3s/dump offs for layups, and making mid range jump shots/floaters.

Imagine if we drafted Sheppard and kept Deni. I'd love a backcourt of Carrington and Sheppard.

[closg00]

He's got so much potential and he's not as rail thin as I was afraid of. Some protein shakes and a good lifting routine and he'll be looking like D Howard in no time.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using RealGM mobile app

What’s concerning is that it’s not really a strength thing IMO. He’s allergic to setting screens or even attempting to rebound, doesn’t box out at all, doesn’t know how to seal off his man to receive a pass/post up, doesn’t rim run at all, doesn’t roll out of the PNR ever. It’s always a huge red flag when bigs have bad hands, and are allergic to contact.

On the flip side, the team is horribly coached and is totally misusing him, has really poor guard play. We saw the flaws in Carrington’s game yesterday as he lacks any ability to get into the paint/finish, frequently dribbled the air out of the ball and didn’t set anyone up for easy looks all game. He’s a perimeter-oriented 2 guard, not a true PG. When he sits, they force George into the PG role, it gets even uglier.

Sarr is in a bad spot. Most of his looks are from getting the ball in isolation at the top of the key, and trying to create his own shot. They also came out and played drop coverage instead of switching, which is probably never going to be a strength for Sarr. He got abused all game long in PNR. Sheppard dissected that drop coverage all game with great passes for open 3s/dump offs for layups, and making mid range jump shots/floaters.

+1, good assessment of the game, Sarr will look much better in a better run offense while also working on his game, he has the tools and potential to be quite good if he has dog and fire in him to work hard on his game, he’s just not as pro-ready as Reed.

[doclinkin]

My concern on Sarr is that he has been on the radar for a while, has a brother who is a pro, has been tall and athletic and strong since anyone has known about him and still plays gentle on the inside. Tough to teach heart. Nice that we picked up Valanciunas to be his bodyguard, but the fear is that he gets used to the idea that banging and fighting for boards is somebody else's job. Only Kevin Durant gets to be a perimeter oriented 7 footer who doesn't fight in the paint. If you don't have his skill set it's your job to be tall. Play tall. Battle. And not be timid about it. Hopefully added muscle makes him realize his gifts. But yeah, a rough contrast to watch Reed in comparison to our pick. Or Castle. And see the fire in their game. Instinct and the rage to compete.

[DCZards]

It’s fair to compare Sarr and Sheppard on the basis of who should have gone second in the draft. Some here would have taken Reed with the top pick and at this point that’s looking like a very smart decision.

But it’s not necessarily fair to compare Sarr and Sheppard as it relates to their development. It’s typical for bigs to take longer to develop and a 19 yr old like Sarr needs to be given at least 2-3 yrs before making any hard decisions as to what he is and what he is not. He definitely has a long way to go as far as strength, toughness and rebounding are concerned. Shouldn’t take too long to see if Sarr can truly improve in those areas…some of which goes to mindset. On the other hand, Sarr’s D is legit and I see the potential for a versatile offensive game.

Reed was groomed by his ballplaying mom and dad to be a baller… since birth. So it’s really not surprising that he’s one of the most pro ready 20 yr olds to come into the NBA in a long time. Just knows how to play the game.

Reed, Castle (whose father played at Wake Forest with Tim Duncan), and Bub all come from bball families and you can see it in their games.

[prime1time]

Always funny how before the draft everyone says someone is a project and needs to develop. But as soon as they show that they have things that need to improve, fans jump to trash them. Sarr needs time to develop his game. If you pigeon hole him into being an unskilled rolling big, then yeah he sucks. But the reality is that we don't know what he'll be. And it's clear by the fact that he chose to force himself to DC, that he wanted the chance to develop the wing aspect of his game. Sarr's game was impressive to me. Saying he's allergic to contact, allergic to setting screens, never boxes out, and all these other super negative things is more so a reflection on the poster because it's not true.

Whenever someone swings super negative it's more so a reflection of the fact that the Wizards didn't choose the player that they wanted and they now have an ulterior motive which is to show that they were right and the Wizards were wrong. Give these kids a chance to develop dear lord.

[prime1time]

My concern on Sarr is that he has been on the radar for a while, has a brother who is a pro, has been tall and athletic and strong since anyone has known about him and still plays gentle on the inside. Tough to teach heart. Nice that we picked up Valanciunas to be his bodyguard, but the fear is that he gets used to the idea that banging and fighting for boards is somebody else's job. Only Kevin Durant gets to be a perimeter oriented 7 footer who doesn't fight in the paint. If you don't have his skill set it's your job to be tall. Play tall. Battle. And not be timid about it. Hopefully added muscle makes him realize his gifts. But yeah, a rough contrast to watch Reed in comparison to our pick. Or Castle. And see the fire in their game. Instinct and the rage to compete.

How does a player with no heart get universally projected to be, at worst, an all nba defensive caliber player? Wizards fans are hilarious.

[prime1time]

So apparently Sarr is Kwame Brown. No heart, bad hands, refuses to set screens, refuses to rebound, refuses to box out, can't post up, never rim runs, never rolls.

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=rathokan
These posters aren't saying these are things that Sarr can even improve. They are saying these are things that he'll never be able to do. And then they take this comparison and use it to argue that we should have taken Sarr or Castle. This is what happens when posters feel like they need to trash the player the Wizards pick because they wanted someone else. This is not objective balanced critique. Sarr will be fine.

[AFM]

It's just classic wizards fan half empty glass thinking. PTSD from Jan Vesely Kwame Jarvis Hayes Johnny Davis

I saw a mobile athletic 7 footer that can dribble coast to coast and pull up

[doclinkin]

How does a player with no heart get universally projected to be, at worst, an all nba defensive caliber player?

At worst? At worst he's a James Wiseman type. Jaxson Hayes. Physical marvel with no heart for the game. If he becomes an all-NBA defender that will be a pleasant surprise. Hard to do if you can't or won't rebound. Scouts even acknowledge he's a better perimeter defender than on the interior.

I'm not saying it is impossible he develops an inside game. I said maybe he gets strong and decides he isn't scared to do it. I'm saying in the time that he has been on the scouting radar he has not yet done it. Even when he was clearly bigger and stronger and more athletic than the competition. Not in Spain. Overtime professional high school ball. Or Aussie ball. To expect that suddenly he is going to develop the desire to bang with the bigs and snatch contested rebounds is a big ask. And I'm asking it, that he plays big.

Nice that he has the beginnings of a face-up dribble drive game. THere will be more development needed there too. My read is he's of the breed that wants to be 7 foot small forwards instead of playing to their size. What I said during the draft process. Not changed much now. I want him to want to get better on the inside.

[nate33]

As I said before, Sarr is a mixed bag.

His length and mobility are exceptional, and it's very encouraging that he demonstrates good passing instincts in the short roll as well as good help defense instincts. He has great physical tools and a good basketball IQ. Those are excellent foundations for success.

But it's also fair to point out that his lack of physicality is a huge red flag. It's not merely that he is getting bullied. That would be okay as skinny guys often get shoved around before they mature physically. The problem is that he instinctively shies away from contact. He's not even putting himself in position to get shoved around. He is just standing outside of the scrum and watching other rebound. That's the type of thing that is very difficult to improve. I'm not saying it CAN'T be improved upon, but changing a guy's intrinsic nature is tougher than changing a guy's shooting form or ball-handling ability.

[payitforward]

Imagine if we drafted Sheppard and kept Deni. I'd love a backcourt of Carrington and Sheppard.

How were we getting Carrington...?

[pcbothwel]

As I said before, Sarr is a mixed bag.

His length and mobility are exceptional, and it's very encouraging that he demonstrates good passing instincts in the short roll as well as good help defense instincts. He has great physical tools and a good basketball IQ. Those are excellent foundations for success.

But it's also fair to point out that his lack of physicality is a huge red flag. It's not merely that he is getting bullied. That would be okay as skinny guys often get shoved around before they mature physically. The problem is that he instinctively shies away from contact. He's not even putting himself in position to get shoved around. He is just standing outside of the scrum and watching other rebound. That's the type of thing that is very difficult to improve. I'm not saying it CAN'T be improved upon, but changing a guy's intrinsic nature is tougher than changing a guy's shooting form or ball-handling ability.

The physicality is an issue, but I do think as matures into a man and gain weight that he will at least improve. His frame is fantastic.
People point to Giannis and Dwight... but even go look at Whiteside, Jonathan Isaac, Bam, etc at 19 vs 24. Sarr is going fill out fine.

I'd also say that his mobility/versatility are being underappreciated. Gafford, Wiseman, Hayes, etc. are all impressive specimens..but they are all run/jump athletes that can only defend bigs and Kuz/like Forwards.

[MDStar]

Imagine if we drafted Sheppard and kept Deni. I'd love a backcourt of Carrington and Sheppard.

How were we getting Carrington...?

It's the surefire Kuzma to Portland deal that everyone is so sure the Wizards turned down as they gave away Deni. How come you keep forgetting that?

[Dark Faze]

As I said before, Sarr is a mixed bag.

His length and mobility are exceptional, and it's very encouraging that he demonstrates good passing instincts in the short roll as well as good help defense instincts. He has great physical tools and a good basketball IQ. Those are excellent foundations for success.

But it's also fair to point out that his lack of physicality is a huge red flag. It's not merely that he is getting bullied. That would be okay as skinny guys often get shoved around before they mature physically. The problem is that he instinctively shies away from contact. He's not even putting himself in position to get shoved around. He is just standing outside of the scrum and watching other rebound. That's the type of thing that is very difficult to improve. I'm not saying it CAN'T be improved upon, but changing a guy's intrinsic nature is tougher than changing a guy's shooting form or ball-handling ability.

I like him as a prospect a lot. My fear is on the developmental/mentality side. Is he trying to hide from the physically and rebounding demands of the 5? That scares me a lot. Because I truly don't believe he'll ever be a good enough shooter to start at the 4.

[dckingsfan]

How does a player with no heart get universally projected to be, at worst, an all nba defensive caliber player?

At worst? At worst he's a James Wiseman type. Jaxson Hayes. Physical marvel with no heart for the game. If he becomes an all-NBA defender that will be a pleasant surprise. Hard to do if you can't or won't rebound. Scouts even acknowledge he's a better perimeter defender than on the interior.

I'm not saying it is impossible he develops an inside game. I said maybe he gets strong and decides he isn't scared to do it. I'm saying in the time that he has been on the scouting radar he has not yet done it. Even when he was clearly bigger and stronger and more athletic than the competition. Not in Spain. Overtime professional high school ball. Or Aussie ball. To expect that suddenly he is going to develop the desire to bang with the bigs and snatch contested rebounds is a big ask. And I'm asking it, that he plays big.

Nice that he has the beginnings of a face-up dribble drive game. THere will be more development needed there too. My read is he's of the breed that wants to be 7 foot small forwards instead of playing to their size. What I said during the draft process. Not changed much now. I want him to want to get better on the inside.

All you need to do is put him alongside a SF that is a really solid rebounder and that takes the forward that is most likely to play inside. Not sure if Bilal is that guy but he could be for sure. Sarr at SF and Bilal at PF.