Wizard's Alex Sarr Reverting to Old Habits to Close Season

The Washington Wizards' anticipated jump from perennial tankers into a competitive unit between seasons is predicated on two major factors pertaining to their present roster. The organization will need their recently-acquired stars in Trae Young and Anthony Davis to be ready to offer strong, consistent production, but they'll also require more leaps out of the prospects who look to round out the group's rotation.

Kyshawn George should see the writing on the wall and come prepared with even more confidence as a two-way difference-maker and lead wing scorer. Tre Johnson and Will Riley have much to gain in splitting possessions on and off of the ball, as does Bilal Coulibaly as a rim-rocking athlete.

Washington Wizards Guards Will Riley and Bilal Coulibaly — Feb 20, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27) celebrates a dunk with guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) against the Indiana Pacers during the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Those Washington draft picks each look to return in similarly-important roles come autumn, but no homegrown Wizard will face quite as much pressure as Alex Sarr. And judging by how he's closing out his second professional campaign, he'll sustain as the piece worth monitoring entering yet another summer of workouts and developments.

Reasons for Concern

The All-Rookie First-Teamer entered this ongoing season preaching his altered focuses after a year spent getting his feet wet against NBA veterans, advertising his self-awareness while building excitement for his sophomore jump.

This was the correct mindset to take on following a season getting beaten up in the paint, as the skinny Sarr repeatedly turned to inefficient fading jumpshots and relied on an inconsistent 3-ball while forgoing shots at the rim. The 48.2% true shooting mark he posted was disastrous, even by rookie center standards, and his specified intentions to produce a less-erratic shot map seemed to indicate a leap in his focus and approach towards the game.

Alex Sarr, after a summer spent trying to hone his physicality, is focused on getting his rim shot attempts up. pic.twitter.com/VAVWlhL2dt
— Henry J. Brown (@HenryJNBA) September 29, 2025

He began the 2025-26 schedule strong, staying true to his word by settling less in the midrange and going up strong from close-range. The fear of tough rim-protectors seemed to have evaporated, and with that confidence came a hot start from behind the arc. Sarr had finally seemed to have learned how to balance his most intriguing scoring traits.

The big man remained relatively-available through the first half of the season's slate of games in maintaining the budding offense with his usually-excellent variety of recovery-based defense and block-collecting. It wasn't until just before the All-Star Break when injuries finally started derailing Sarr's trajectory, and he hasn't been the same caliber of disruptor since.

He was in-and-out of the Wizards' lineup to start February before missing 10 straight games, and his numbers since returning on a minutes restriction look frighteningly-similar to the rough figures he'd posted entering 2025. 38.3% from the field and 32.3% from the three while relying more on outside jumpers weren't what fans wanted to see out of his season's close.

Too often has Sarr failed to meet a matchup with the fire that outsiders desire over recent weeks. More intense outings and higher point totals would help to scrub the stink that is the constant revolving door of opposing big men who go off against the Wizards, and his lack of consistent engagement is worrisome to a roster that will need him more than ever on a nightly basis in the near-future.

Sarr's Double-Big Fit

He isn't just expected to be a returning starter on next season's iteration of the squad. Sarr, alongside Davis, will help anchor one of the game's most intriguing frontcourts, a unique combination of ascending and potentially-descending talents with the combined defensive acumen to hold down the paint against anyone.

Washington Wizards Centers Alex Sarr and Anthony Davis — Oct 24, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) shoots as Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (20) defends during the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

While Davis offers the strength that Sarr's still looking to build, they each profile as mobile blockers with the footspeed and instincts to switch out onto perimeter threats with ease, but the pairing will only work if Sarr's ready to match the 10x All-Star's energy. Davis isn't accustomed to teams that lose this often, and will shoot out of a cannon to start the fall in an attempt to help put the Wizards back on the map.

That demanded versatility, coupled with Young's pick-and-roll orchestration, give Sarr several reasons to remain actively engaged on both ends of the floor just in case the prospect of remaining regularly-competitive wasn't enough. He's still a long way from proving himself as a finished product, though, and could greatly benefit from another offseason of tinkering alongside the improved influences.

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