Last season, Alex Sarr was the breakout player for the Washington Wizards. On Tuesday, he cemented his place in franchise history, ironically in an overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
He scored 31 points and had 11 rebounds in 34 minutes of play. In the process, Sarr, 20, became the youngest player in Wizards history to score 30+ points and record 10+ rebounds in a game. The last player was Thomas Bryant, who was 21.
After playing competitively, the Wizards were outscored by the 76ers 32-16 in the fourth quarter. Later in OT, they were outscored 13-8 and lost 139-134.
In his rookie season, Sarr averaged 19.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game while averaging 27.1 minutes per game. NBA All-Rookie First Team and won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month last December.
Additionally, Sarr became one of only three NBA rookies to achieve 100 three-pointers, 100 blocks, and 150 assists in a single year. Plus, he led all rookies with 31 multi-block games and 144 blocks and steals.
Meanwhile, the Wizards are only one of the NBA's lowly teams to finish with an 18-64 record last year. Over the summer, Sarr represented France at the EuroBasket tournament. While there, he sustained a calf injury.
So far, Sarr is averaging 19.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as the Wizards start the season at 1-3.
Alex Sarr could follow in the footsteps of those who came before him
At this point, Sarr is trying to find his footing while the Wizards embark on a long-term journey back to some semblance of prominence.
If they click in the long term, then Sarr could find himself amongst the previous Washington players who made an impact on the franchise. Among those players are the likes of Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes, John Wall, and Gilbert Arenas.
Each of them played a key role in elevating the franchise's status while achieving incredible individual feats. Sarr could be poised to follow suit if all goes well.
