Washington Wizards rookie Alex Sarr is putting together a solid rookie campaign. As the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, many had high hopes for him. While his rookie season has been a bit up and down, it seems like the French native is putting it together.
This season, Sarr is averaging 13 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game. Though it is too early to give him a definitive label, Sarr is playing some solid basketball. So much so, that Sarr himself recently spoke about the Rookie of the Year race, saying he “definitely belong[s]” in the conversation (subscription required).
“I definitely belong in that conversation,” Sarr said by telephone last week. “That’s not up to me. Everything is out there: the games and the stats. We’ll see what happens at the end. I’ve been constantly improving through the season, and I’m finishing out strong, trying to keep building that momentum.”
According to Bovada, Sarr (+1100) has the third-best odds to win the award. Only San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (-1500) and Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (+850) have better odds than Sarr.
Young Wizards Star Alex Sarr Gets Real About Major Award Race
Moves Coming in Washington in the Offseason?
In the last week of the season, the Wizards own a 17-61 record. This is the worst record in the East and second-worst in the league behind the Utah Jazz. Because of their poor record, some are anticipating some changes coming in Washington this summer. The most likely change is the Wizards potentially trading veteran guard Marcus Smart.
Washington landed Smart from the Memphis Grizzlies at the trade deadline. However, he does not fit their timeline and has one year left on his contract. Recently, the former Defensive Player of the Year spoke about a potential trade happening this summer.
“Control what I can control,” Smart said. “That’s been my motto, and that’s kind of how it’s going to stand. These last couple years, you’ve seen things that you probably didn’t expect to see, you experienced things that you probably didn’t expect to experience, and it kind of brings things to the surface for you. You’ve just got to control what you can control.”
“I’m one of probably the biggest competitors in this league,” Smart said. “As long as I’m able to be out there, I want to be out there and I’m going to be out there. Where, when, how – that’s not in my control. All I can do is control my preparation and be prepared for whatever is thrown at me. So obviously I would like to get back to that play of racking up those minutes and really getting out there with those guys, but like I said, control what I can control.”
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Sarr has some competition ahead of him in the award race. However, he belongs in the conversation. It is unlikely that he will win the award, but he is putting together a solid season. It will be interesting to see how he can improve and develop from here.
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