Wizards 2025-26 Player Grades: Alex Sarr

The Washington Wizards' regular season has finally wrapped up, and analysts and fans alike can now fully reflect on the individual strides that the squad's featured players put forth.

Alex Sarr, the highest-drafted piece among the young corps, was far better than the group's 17-65 record would suggest, and Wizards On SI writers Bryson Akins and Henry J. Brown had some thoughts to share on his productive, albeit streaky sophomore stint in the bigs.

"Sarr took a leap that had everyone turning their heads this season. After a rough rookie season in which he shot the ball at an inefficient rate, he changed his shot diet and became more reliable on offense. He looked stronger in the post and was able to utilize some good footwork to score in the painted area. His distance shooting also looked decent, though it could still use some work."

Washington Wizards Center Alex Sarr — Jan 29, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (20) takes a shot before a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

"Where Sarr thrived, though, was on defense. If Sarr were eligible for postseason awards, he might have gotten a few All-Defensive votes thanks to his rim protection. Sarr averaged 2 blocks per game and held opponents to 52 percent shooting at the rim, which is in the 90th percentile of the league. Last season, that stat was 60 percent. Sarr also held all opponents to under 50 percent from the field this season as well.

"Overall, this was a season that silenced the doubt hanging over from his rookie year. Sarr is slowly solidifying himself as one of the best defensive centers in the NBA. The only area he needs to improve is scoring, and then he would become a deadly threat on the court." - Bryson Akins

Bryson's Grade: B+

"Sarr did, in fact, stick to his word in cleaning up his shot diet, though his once-strong sophomore campaign has already begun vanishing from the minds of impressed outsiders.

"He declined as the season rolled along, slowly succumbing to injuries and the Wizards' tanking agenda in missing 34 games, many of which were loaded into the back half of Washington's schedule. And when he did play, he failed to meet the efficient standard he'd set for himself over previous months, slipping all the way back down to 11.3 nightly points on 38.3% from the field and 32.3% from distance over the seven games he appeared in following the All-Star Break."

"Even if he still has some work to do in proving that he's capable of maintaining his progress over six long months, Sarr still deserves credit for escaping the deep hole he'd dug himself into following an exceptionally rocky rookie year. His season was about narrowing down the sort of player he wants to be and prioritizing the niche skillset he brings to the Wizards, which he did with his routinely-excellent block-collecting, versatile perimeter defense and fluid mid-post scoring.

"His clunky jump shot may still be far from a finished product, but he's shown enough to return to the upper-most echelon of the 2024 NBA Draft class' most intriguing prospects. The Wizards' rebuild centers around Sarr, and he's looking much closer to that prestige part with each developing season." - Henry J. Brown

Henry's Grade: B+

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