Wizards HC Remains Secretive Regarding Alex Sarr's Year Three Ambitions

The Washington Wizards aren't being nearly as forthcoming about their prized center's development plan as they were last year.

Jan 27, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (20) reacts to a call during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Anyone wondering how Alex Sarr planned to approach his 2025-26 sophomore season got their questions answered immediately during last year's media day.

He heard the doubts surrounding his unrefined offensive game, a style mostly-predicated on his lack of interior strength and shooting touch. He took the stand before Washington Wizards media late last summer hell-bent on improving his rookie marks of 48.2% true shooting and 30.8% 3-point hit rate by settling for fewer perimeter heaves and fading prayers. "Anything close to the basket, I would say that's my focus right now," he said.

Mar 8, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (20) dunks during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This time around, however, he and the Wizards' coaching staff aren't revealing nearly as much about the specific goals he's chasing. The context he's attempting to continue developing within isn't anything close to static, providing him with plenty of chances to react to his ever-changing surroundings as he chases his next leap.

Where is Sarr Leaving Room for Improvement?

As inspiring as Sarr's shooting progression was, he could still afford to step it up in a few niche departments.

54.4% true shooting is still a few ticks below league average, and 52.6% field goal shooting from within the arc simply isn't impressive for a seven-footer who spent last offseason declaring his desire for easier shots at the rim. He did, to his credit, ease up on spotting up from outside less often, though he did fall into his old 3-point-happy ways down the stretch of a season that hit an early, injury-defined end.

Alex Sarr 31-8-2-3b (12/20 FG) pic.twitter.com/FzcFHYfYhu

— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) November 6, 2025

Luckily, he continued shining as a defensive anchor constantly-recovering for less-impressive perimeter deterrents, as well as a talented playmaker who's capable of firing the occasionally-brilliant short roll pass. The inclusion of superior teammates to take more weight off of his shoulders certainly won't hurt.

How Can the Wizards Put Sarr in a Position to Succeed?

Despite his noticeable uptick in efficiency, he actually took fewer unassisted shots last year (67.7% of the time) than he did as a rookie (at a 70.1% clip). That's a department in which Trae Young's capable of leveraging his own pick-and-role prowess into simple shots on the move for his new lob-catcher.

The point guard has spoken at length on the initiator's importance within the relationship between passer and screener, placing the onus on the entry passer who's responsible for finding the diver. That'll pair well with someone like Sarr, who still sounds as set on generating simple buckets as ever.

"The best players are the ones who control the paint on both ends," he told On SI this week. “Every great player has a lot of easy points."

I asked Alex Sarr and Wizards HC Brian Keefe about the jumps they’re expecting out of the center. While Sarr said “every great player has a lot of easy points” in regards to his always-tweaking scoring approach, Keefe is refusing to give any further details away. pic.twitter.com/UzTi6xOE33

— All Wizards Talk (@AllWizardsTalk) October 5, 2026

On top of all of the other supplementary playmaking wings to spread the ball inside, Anthony Davis will be similarly helpful to Sarr's growth model. Here's another rebounder to spare Sarr from having to clean up every board and loose ball himself, as well as another part-time floor-spacer to allow one of the bigs to dwell down low.

Outside of AJ Dybantsa, Sarr remains the biggest-deal prospect in Washington amidst his ongoing quest to validate what the franchise saw in the former No. 2 overall pick out of the 2024 NBA Draft class. He has the skills to be a future Defensive Player of the Year candidate, but another year of improved offensive play will be key in his maxing out his time on the court and overall-impact on the next step of the Wizards' build.

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