Inside The Wizards

Wizards Forward Will Be Key to Winning vs. Pacers

A specific Washington Wizards forward will be integral to the team's success against the Indiana Pacers.
Jan 19, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr (20) controls the ball against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Jan 19, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr (20) controls the ball against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

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Every team in the NBA seems to be dealing with a significant injury. Those injuries could be short-term where a player may only miss a week or two and simply needs to rest, or they could potentially be long-term as well. Sometimes the timeline for a return gets delayed during rehab and lengthens an absence. All of that is to say that injuries make or break you in the NBA. That feeling has certainly been felt in the case of the Washington Wizards and rookie forward Alex Sarr.

The Wizards are happy to welcome back Sarr into their lineup tonight, however, as they are set to host a conference rival in the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are a team who have been playing at a very high level during the calendar year.

Things started off a bit rocky initially for Indiana as Tyrese Haliburton struggled. With that being the case, the Pacers leaned upon Pascal Siakiam, who was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

Defending him will be a challenge tonight. That is why it feels like perfect timing as the Wizards are welcoming back Sarr from his brief time away. He will be Siakam's primary defender in this game, and while it won't be easy for the rookie, he matches up well with him.

Sarr is one of the NBA's biggest players, standing seven feet tall. Despite that, he is pretty quick on his feet and very athletic with a long wingspan. That should will be hard to deal with for Siakam.

The Wizards rookie has a smooth offensive game as well. His aggressiveness could potentially get Siakam in foul trouble. Ultimately, that could make life easier for Washington. It will be an interesting matchup, to say the least, as Sarr is the key to a win against the Pacers.

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Tyrone Montgomery
TYRONE MONTGOMERY

Tyrone Montgomery Jr has covered the NBA, NFL, and NCAA Sports since 2017 where he has engaged in color commentary, writing articles, interviewing of both players and coaches, photography, videography, and even the recording of multiple podcasts as well. This has shown to be a strong passion of his as he continues along this path covering the Washington Wizards

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