The Washington Wizards' strategy of heavily implementing three freshly-drafted rookies into their everyday rotation wasn't one that would ever equate to winning games, but that was never the team's goal.
The Wizards front office wanted to see what they had in their young guys, a trio of high-feel, two-way athletes who general manager Will Dawkins trusted to figure it out on the fly. There weren't many other Wizards ahead of the rookies in the pecking order after winning just 15 games the season before, and everyone that the team front office opted to bring in through the draft met or exceeded expectations with an elongated leash.
Bub Carrington, taken with the lottery's final pick, impressed all season long by settling in comfortably to a multi-level scoring game that started with his midrange and grew to heavily incorperate his 3-ball. Late first-rounder Kyshawn George, seen as a potential 3&D prospect, hit big shots all season long and matched up fearlessly against some of the league's deadliest wing scorers. Even AJ Johnson, brought over mid-season during the Kyle Kuzma trade, showed some inspiring flashes with his wicked-quick first step and impressive shotmaking.
As impressive as the band of rooks were, perhaps none of them received as much acclaim from the league as Alex Sarr, who missed out on being a top-three finalist for Rookie of the Year despite spending the majority of the season in talks for the award alongside nominees Stephon Castle, Zaccharie Risacher and Jaylen Wells.
Complete list of awards finalists for the 2024-25 NBA regular season ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/4bgbfQpohT
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 20, 2025
The second overall pick could've very easily gone first had he not told the Hawks that he'd much rather go play for the clearly-rebuilding Wizards. Armed with a versatile defensive package and potential as a creative shooter, he averaged 13 points per game, good for second-most of all non-Castle draft classmates, and became just the third rookie to block 100+ shots, deal 100+ assists and splash 100+ 3-pointers, per Wizards PR.
The young seven-footer wasn't always efficient as he could have been when choosing his shots, settling for fading jumpers when he often could have to the rim with size, and put up a rough 39/31/68% slash line that left a lot to be desired from just about every zone of the court.
It wasn't always pretty, but the league certainly showed him some respect, handing Sarr December's Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award after he recorded 13.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 blocks across nine games. That tied Wells for monthly award wins with one, behind only Castle and Risacher with two apiece.
Alex Sarr Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month December highlights pic.twitter.com/H9MR8WwSp8
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) January 2, 2025
This exclusion is a tough beat for Sarr, who, despite possessing a skillset that few basketball prospects can ever put together, has to play the odd man out. Castle, who too put up bigger numbers than he likely would have on a team more serious than the San Antonio Spurs, outshot Sarr and scored just a tick better with 14.7 points per game. Risacher and Wells, while boasting less gaudy numbers, did it as largely complementary players in tighter roles in Atlanta and Memphis, respectively.
Sarr's still all but a lock for All-Rookie First Team, having provided enough defensive highlights and counting stats to hang with nearly anyone his age. Washington has succeeded in throwing their young guys into the deep end and watching them learn how to swim, even though they may not see that same recognition as award season continues.
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Luka Doncic is preparing for his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The superstar forward was traded to the franchise in a shock move ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. General manager Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office knew they were taking a risk, as Doncic only had one additional guaranteed year on his contract. That's why the Lakers have been so proactive in building a team around Doncic's skill set and involving him in the new additions to the roster. They want him to re-sign. 2008 NBA champion Brian Scalabrine, speaking via Sirius XM NBA Dash Radio on July 28, shared his belief that the Lakers have challenged Doncic to get into shape. "I do believe that Luka will sign an extension for the Lakers," Scalabrine said. "...I also believe that the Lakers told him, 'We're not giving you an extension unless you get into shape.'... I don't have any sources on that or anything like that, but I know that JJ Redick talked about it. I would assume that Rob Pelinka and the new ownership of the Lakers are like, 'We want to pay you. We want to give you the keys to the franchise. We want to get Deandre Ayton that you want, and Marcus Smart. But you owe us something too. And you owe us taking care of your body. No more drinking and fried foods and whatever you did before ... You're a world-class player. Let's get you in world-class shape.'" Doncic is clearly in the best shape of his NBA career heading into the new season. He's just been featured in Men's Health magazine for his body transformation. The likelihood that his increased fitness translates to a potential MVP season is high. The Lakers are a team that understands how to deal with superstar talent. Doncic isn't the first world-class player to don the purple and gold jersey. The promise of a big payday and becoming the featured franchise player was likely enough to entice him into making the change. Of course, being jettisoned from the Dallas Mavericks is likely playing a part in his summer of swole, too. Doncic is highly likely to sign a new deal with the Lakers. They've pulled out all the stops to make him feel at home. In return, they're getting the most in-shape version of the star possible. From the outside looking in, it seems like a win-win.
Caitlin Clark is expected to sit out for a fourth straight game on Sunday when the Indiana Fever take on the Chicago Sky in a much-awaited rivalry matchup. The 23-year-old is still dealing with a reaggravated groin strain and has no timetable to return. The rest of her Fever teammates have had to step up in her absence. There is, perhaps, no other player who has taken a bigger role on the offensive end amid Clark’s injury spell than three-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell. Mitchell, however, struggled with her shot in Thursday’s win against the Las Vegas Aces. The 5-foot-8 guard shot the ball poorly in the first three quarters, going just 4-of-19 from the field for 12 points. Mitchell caught fire in the fourth, though. She went 4-of-5 in the final frame for nine points, finishing with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-24 shooting. This is exactly why head coach Stephanie White remains completely confident in Mitchell’s scoring ability. The veteran coach has made it clear that she has given Mitchell the green light to shoot the rock. “The biggest thing with Kelsey is just telling her, ‘Let it fly.’ It’s going to go,” White said after Thursday’s win against Las Vegas. "... Keep shooting it from outside. She made some big ones when we needed them.” Kelsey Mitchell Has Stepped up Amid Clark's Injury Mitchell has answered the call for the Fever of late. In the three games Clark has been sidelined, Mitchell has put up averages of 22.0 points on 42.9% shooting. She also knocked down 2.7 triples during that stretch on a 34.8% clip. The 29-year-old veteran will need to keep her foot on the gas on Sunday as the Fever try to take down the Sky at United Center. With Clark watching from the bench, the Fever will rely on Mitchell’s scoring against Chicago as they look to improve on their 13-12 record. The Fever and Sky meet at 3 p.m. ET Sunday on ABC.
Second-year Green Bay Packers running back Marshawn Lloyd can’t seem to catch a break. Chosen by the Packers with the No. 88 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Lloyd dealt with hamstring injuries throughout training camp last summer before suffering a season-ending ankle injury just one week into his rookie season. Marshawn Lloyd Knocked from Packers Practice As the intensity ratchets up at Packers training camp, Lloyd’s second season may have already gotten off on the wrong foot, during Green Bay’s first practice in full pads this summer. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Lloyd stayed out on the field but didn’t continue to practice, instead watching from behind the huddle without a helmet. Demovsky points out that Lloyd was slow to get up but then did not return to practice the rest of the day. The Packers are likely hoping for big things from Lloyd, who is likely to compete with Emmanuel Wilson for the lion’s share of carries behind Wilson. It remains to be seen how serious Lloyd’s injury is, but if the 24-year-old is forced to miss any significant time, general manager Brian Gutekunst and the Packers may be wise to go shopping for some quality running back help in the days and weeks ahead.
The Toronto Blue Jays have the best record in Major League Baseball. Depth contributions throughout the lineup and on the pitching staff are a major factor in their success, but what might be even more important is the heater shortstop Bo Bichette is on. Like most of the rest of the team, after a slow start, Bichette has found his groove, and he put it all on display as Toronto (63-43) won three of four at AL Central-leading Detroit from Thursday-Sunday. Already with two RBI on Thursday and Friday, Bichette added two RBI in Saturday's 6-1 win that included this unreal 13-pitch at-bat against Tarik Skubal. Not many are taking arguably the best pitcher in baseball 13 pitches deep and forcing a walk. In Toronto's 10-4 loss Sunday, Bichette went 5-for-5 with two more RBI. Per StatMuse, it was his fourth five-hit game in the big leagues. Bichette entered the four-game series with a .281 average and now heads to Baltimore with a .289 average. That's superstar stuff from the 27-year-old two-time All-Star. Through 103 games, Bichette has 13 HRs and 65 RBI, putting him on pace for a 20-HR, 99-RBI season. He has driven in 100 runs only once during his seven-year MLB career. Bichette is doing himself wonders in a contract year, especially after a down, injury-plagued 2024 season. Toronto's chance to extend him at a discounted rate is long gone, and it feels like a formality that Bichette will at least test the market this winter. We've seen megadeals handed out to some of the league's best shortstops in recent years, including the Mets' Francisco Lindor, Texas' Corey Seager, Philadelphia's Trea Turner and Minnesota's Carlos Correa. Combine that with the increasing contract values around baseball, and Bichette is set to receive a massive payday. For now, Bichette's focus is on helping the Blue Jays win and make a postseason run that includes Toronto's first World Series title since 1993.