Last season on defense, typical of a young big who was acclimating to the faster speed and better athleticism of the NBA, Sarr sometimes found himself a step late to challenge opponents’ forays to the rim. This season, he looks more adept at anticipating opponents’ attacks. “He’s really the anchor to our defense,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe said. “He establishes protecting the paint, which is a big deal in the NBA. Obviously, he’s been doing this since he’s been here, but he’s getting better at this. We’ve still got some work to do on that, even though he’s still blocking four or five a game recently. He just sets the tone for who we want to be in protecting the paint and establishes a presence down there.”
