Washington Wizards rookie Alex Sarr was roasted by basketball fans online after shooting 9-of-47 in Summer League, including a 0-for-15 performance. However, the 19-year-old is now third in the NBA Rookie Ladder and has 19-plus points in eight of his last 13 outings. He also became the youngest center in NBA history to score 20 0r m0re points in a game with no free throws in the 119-114 win vs. the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday,
Jordan Poole described Sarr’s growth after the Wizards’ 162-109 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday.
I asked Jordan Poole to describe the growth he’s seen from Alex Sarr this season. He said that the rookie is “getting more confident” the more he plays and credited him for “shushing the noise” from earlier in the season. pic.twitter.com/5ccqk4iq11
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) March 28, 2025
“I think he’s getting more comfortable throughout the course of the season. He’s getting more comfortable with the way we play, more comfortable with his game,” the second-year Wizard said. “I think he’s starting to figure out what he does that’s comfortable to him, that makes him a dominant player.”
Sarr’s scoring is night and day compared to the start of the season. The No. 2 overall pick averaged just eight points per game on 29.7 percent shooting (23.8 percent 3 PT) across 24.2 minutes in October but is posting 17.2 points across 27.6 minutes in March.
“I feel like we’ve just been playing really good basketball, team basketball,” Poole continued. “Everybody’s been on the court long enough to learn each other’s strengths. I think we got a really good chemistry going on on both sides of the ball. Credit to Alex for sticking with it and continuing to improve, and shushing a lot of the noise that we heard coming into the season.”
It was never smart to write off Sarr as a bust after a handful of rocky Summer League appearances, but the social media era is full of premature takes. Regardless, the French international is showing each game why he was drafted so high, as he’s averaging 20.3 points on 56 percent true shooting with 6.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.
True shooting is an advanced stat that is calculated by dividing twice the sum of the players’ field goal attempts and 0.44 times their free throw attempts. It takes into account all types of shots and their respective values.
Meanwhile, Sarr has maintained the other facets of his game. The seven-footer’s 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game in March nearly match his season averages across the board (6.7, 2.3, 1.5). He’s second among rookies only to Donovan Clingan in rejections, who has 1.6, and his 13.1 points are also second only to Stephon Castle’s 14.2.
With that being said, it’s one thing for Sarr’s teammate and mentor to compliment him publically, but it’s another when a former Coach of the Year does it from outside the organization.
Rick Carlisle showers Alex Sarr with praise
Pacers (43-30) head coach Rick Carlisle lauded Sarr’s skill and personality before Thursday’s game.
“He’s got a high ceiling. He’s tall, long, athletic, skilled, unafraid…He stretches the floor, shoots threes, and he can block shots,” the former NBA champion said. “And he plays with a real upbeat vibe. Very likeable player as you watch him.”
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said that Alex Sarr “has a high ceiling…He can stretch the floor, block shots. He has an upbeat vibe, very likable player…” pic.twitter.com/ixFy10lE1F
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) March 27, 2025
Sarr proved Carlisle right on an otherwise miserable night for Washington (16-57), scoring a team-high 22 points (8-15 FG, 1-4 3 PT) with seven rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal in 28 minutes vs. Indiana.
That was just one day after notching 24 points (10-17 FG, 4-7 3 PT) with seven boards, two assists, two rejections, and one steal in the win over Philadelphia. The former NBL (Australian League) player also hit a game-sealing fall-down shot from close range in the final seconds.
20-piece for the rook
24 PTS
7 REB pic.twitter.com/n9MgetQj2K
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) March 27, 2025
Sarr’s ankle injury that kept him out for all but two games in February likely ruined his chances at the Rookie of the Year award, but he’s proven that he’s a promising piece with All-Star potential for the Wizards.
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In other news, Poole set a career-high for threes made in a season on Thursday, getting to 215. The Michigan alum’s previous best mark was 214 for the Golden State Warriors in 2022-23. With 10 games left, he’s also on pace to break Bradley Beal’s franchise record of 223, which he set in the 2016-17 campaign.
Poole is scorching from deep, as he went 4-of-8 against the Pacers, 4-of-7 against the 76ers, and 5-of-9 in Monday’s 112-104 loss to the Toronto Raptors. The 25-year-old is shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc in March and a career-best 37.9 percent this year.
Additionally, Bub Carrington broke the franchise rookie record for threes made in a season on Thursday with 113, passing Corey Kispert’s record of 112 from 2021-22. Earlier in March, the 19-year-old also became just the third player in NBA history with 250-plus assists and 100-plus three-pointers made before turning 20, joining Kobe Bryant and Luka Doncic.
The Wizards’ young and record-breaking core is off on Friday before hosting the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night.
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