Thunder End of the Year Report Card: Olivier Sarr

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Thunder
By Chris Becker | Last updated 4/28/22

Olivier Sarr could be named the handyman cause when he’s called, he fixes what he needs to.

The big man spent most of the season in the G League, but when injuries began to pile on, Sarr got the nod to the NBA roster.

Playing in 22 games for the Thunder, he filled in when needed and it could’ve earned him a look for next season's roster.

Overall grade: C

He wasn’t bad, but he also wasn’t great. Sarr simply filled a need and filled it to his ability.

The Thunder needed bodies and Sarr was added to the team. The team was in the late stages of another losing filled season with injuries plaguing the roster.

Sarr was the guy who filled in where he was needed, mostly on the interior. With Mike Muscala and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl missing lengthy periods, Sarr filled in.

The 7-foot center was built for that role.

Offense: C

He notched seven points per game and he shot well, but much like his role he just did what was needed.

The Thunder didn’t need him to explode for large chunks of points or make a statement to the league. They simply needed him to play stable basketball and get the team to the end and he did just that.

Sarr did have a successful 3-point stroke when he was shooting. While he didn’t shoot from beyond the arc much, he typically found the bottom of the net tallying a 44.8% mark from 3-point range.

He also converted on an impressive 57.4% of his field goals. Although he shot less than five times per game, most of those were in the paint and at the rim.

Defense: C

Sarr, despite being 7-foot and 240 pounds, grabbed less than five rebounds per game. However, he did produce 0.7 blocks per game which ranked near the top on the OKC roster.

Sarr’s defensive flexibility isn’t as vast as other Thunder big men because of his huge stature and big build, mainly keeping him in the paint and unable to defend the perimeter.

The 7-footer wasn’t the best player to come from the G League this season, but if next season rolls around and the Thunder need bodies, Sarr could get the nod again.

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This article first appeared on FanNation Inside The Thunder and was syndicated with permission.

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