Alex Sarr Gets Huge Praise From Top NBA Analyst

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Gerard Angelo Samillano | Last updated Apr 18, 2025 8:23 AM ET

Alex Sarr's rookie season was quite the rollercoaster to witness. Drafted second-overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, Sarr's reputation was not that high after analysts deemed the 2024 class "weak". His horrid performance in Summer League only worsened his perception amongst the casual fanbase.

Since then, though, Sarr has quietly improved and developed into a solid starter by the end of his rookie season. While he hasn't been as flashy as, say, Stephon Castle of the Spurs, the Wizards rookie has been great for his team, with flashes of his potential showing up in the latter half of the season.

Speaking on "The Zach Lowe Podcast", Kirk Goldsberry praised Sarr for his performance this season, as he put the Wizards rookie on his First Team All-Rookie ballot.

"I think Sarr is going to be a a great player in this league for a long time," Goldsberry said. "I think the Wizards should be happy with him... I just think he is what we thought he was. This is a good rookie year for one of the top players in the draft, a weak draft, and I think that he is set up for long-term success at his position. I don't know what else he could have really done in that environment this year to get noticed."

In his rookie season, Sarr averaged 13.0 points per game (second amongst all qualified rookies) and 6.5 rebounds for the Wizards. His defense has been tremendous as well, as he's second among rookies with 1.5 blocks per game (behind Donovan Clingan). He's performed exactly according to expectations, both when it comes to his strengths and weaknesses.

There are areas to improve for Sarr: his efficiency from the field must be better, and a little more bulk might help him be even more impactful on defense. Still, from what we've seen from him this season... the future is bright for Washington.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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