Until Tuesday, Alex Sarr’s breakout second season was happening almost entirely in losses. The Washington Wizards big man started to show off a more realized version of the tantalizing bundle of traits that made him the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft.

Sarr has been more aggressive getting inside and more effective at finishing plays when he gets there. He has continued to rack up blocks and has emerged as one of the league’s best young rim protectors. His three-point volume is down, but his percentage is up, as are his passing statistics.

Most importantly, Sarr is a decided positive for Washington on the court. The Wizards are nearly 13 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the court compared with their performance when he’s not, according to Cleaning the Glass. But it hadn’t translated to wins, which have been scarce for the tanking Wizards.

After starting the season 1-1 — and leading deep into their third game — Washington dropped 14 straight. The NBA has seen five losing streaks that went at least 14 games since 2024; Washington is responsible for four.

That string of defeats ended Tuesday night when the Wizards trounced the Atlanta Hawks, 132-113, for their first home win. CJ McCollum led the way by scoring 46, but more important to Washington’s future, Sarr was just as impactful.

Sarr finished with 27 points (on 11-for-15 shooting), 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. It’s his fifth game with at least 15 points and 10 rebounds, already matching his total from last season.

Read more about that performance and the Wizards win: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/11/26/alex-sarr-wizards-win/

11 comments

  2. He’s looking very coordinated out there, very fluid. And he’s looking much stronger already, in just one offseason of work. Imagine when he actually gets a good point guard to feed him on the PnR and in the post. Right now Khris is the best on the roster at getting the ball to Sarr in the right spots.

    Sarr is legit. He’s going to be a force in the East. We found our big man.

  5. Honestly the part of the leap I saw coming the least is the rebounding, I was afraid even if he was really good it could be a JJJ situation where the rebounding is just not there (even though Sarr is a few inches taller). But clearly that’s not the case, he’s already on pace to greatly outdo JJJ best rebounding season (per game and per 36). He’s gonna be a complete legit modern NBA big.

  6. Alex is the real deal. Once he has a legit point guard, offense is going to be so easy for him.

  7. > The Wizards are nearly 13 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the court

    He’s literally the only one with any size, so NO SHIT the team’s a hell of a lot better when he’s on the court.

    It’s shocking that they built a team without size. It’s like they are trying to lose! Oh, wait…

  8. Said it before, but I think he potentially has the highest upside of ANY Wizards draft pick in franchise history. Dawkins hit jackpot when the Hawks took ZR. Wizards have a legit building block.

    *Just need Cam to get more minutes lol

  9. With the news of Chris Paul retiring, a lot of words have been said about his role in mentoring young teams, whether it was the Thunder after Russ, or the Suns, or the Spurs. I couldn’t help but think about how next year we would get so much benefit from that version of Chris Paul as a floor general, organizer, and leader. Would literally be a perfect fit for Sarr, George, and all the rest.

  10. I’m hoping for a LaMarcus Aldridge type arc. LA as a rookie was a finesse stretch 4/5. Mostly pick and pop. Once he put on some muscle and man weight, it unlocked the rest of his game and he became a terror on the inside.

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