Alex Sarr had a Summer League full of ups and downs. In his debut game, he was the talk of the NBA, with four stellar blocks and 12 points. However, when facing the Trail Blazers again two games later, he had the exact opposite kind of performance. Sarr put up possibly one of the worst summer league games in history, with 0 points on 15-shot attempts. Plenty of rookies have bad showings in the summer league, but 0 points raised some eyebrows. Sarr didn’t put away concerns with his next game against the Kings either; he scored two points on 1-for-6 shooting.
So, while the narrative has largely been focused on Sarr’s inability to score, there’s plenty of good that came as well that’s being overlooked. Here’s the good and the bad from Sarr’s summer league, and what we can expect from him in the NBA.
Recapping Alex Sarr’s Summer League
Sarr’s Summer League Journey
It’s never great to peak in your first game (just as Michael-Carter Williams). However, that appears to be what happened to Sarr in Summer League. As mentioned above, Sarr had a stellar performance, showcasing a little bit of everything. He hit pull-up jumpers like Kevin Durant, blocked shots like Victor Wembanyama, and ran the court well in transition. Everyone could see what made him such an intriguing prospect. Of course, you can’t judge someone off of one game, as we’d quickly see.
Sarr’s second game wasn’t terrible, but the stats did regress. In just under 30 minutes, he finished with eight points, four rebounds, and two blocks on not-great shooting splits. This game didn’t generate the same buzz, but it also wasn’t a sign of concern. It was the rematch against the Trail Blazers with 0 for 15 shooting from the field and 0 for 7 from three that created buzz across social media. The game after that wasn’t much better shooting-wise; Sarr finished with two points on 1 for 6 shooting from the field. After that game, the Wizards shut him down for the rest of Summer League.
So yes, shooting 1-for-21 over the course of two games isn’t ideal. However, it’s not as though this stretch didn’t have any good to witness.
The Good We’ve Seen
Sarr’s scoring in summer league may have been less than ideal; however, there were flashes of good too. Sarr showcased his defense in the paint; across the four games he played, he never had a single game without a block. In fact, across the four games he played, he averaged two blocks per game, having one, two, three, and four blocks each in a game.
His rebounding presence also can’t be ignored. Across those four games, Sarr averaged just under eight rebounds per game. While it’s an extremely small sample size, Sarr proved that he’s very talented on the defensive end. This matters far more than his scoring, as the Wizards finished 28th in defensive rating during the 2023-24 season. They need Sarr anchoring their defense. With Jordan Poole and rookie Carlton Carrington‘s amazing play during the Summer League, they’ll be covered scoring-wise.
Additionally, Sarr’s shooting slump in the summer league isn’t indicative of how good a scorer he’ll be once he gets to the NBA. Plenty of people have cold streaks, and they always recover. Additionally, plenty of rookies who were labeled “busts” or “didn’t live up to expectations” in Summer League became stars. Victor Wembanyama is a perfect example, as he was outplayed last summer league by Kai Jones. Other Summer League busts include Stephen Curry, Derrick Rose, Trae Young, Chris Paul, and LeBron James.
So, don’t be thrown off too much by Sarr’s summer league performance. He’ll be dominant once the 2024-25 NBA season starts.
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