Current:Home > reviewsWashington Wizards select Alex Sarr with 2nd pick in 2024 NBA draft. What you need to know -LegacyCapital
Washington Wizards select Alex Sarr with 2nd pick in 2024 NBA draft. What you need to know
View
Date:2025-04-16 10:28:34
French forward Alex Sarr is headed to Washington, D.C..
Sarr, who played for the 2023-24 Perth Wildcats in Australia's National Basketball League, was selected No. 2 overall by the Washington Wizards in Wednesday night's NBA draft. He stands 7-foot-1 and is viewed as one of the best defenders in the class. He is also the younger brother of Olivier Sarr, a center on a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 19-year-old, who reportedly turned down a workout with the Hawks in the pre-draft process, averaged 9.4 points with 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game on 51.6% shooting in the NBL last season. Sarr joins a slew of recent NBL players to be drafted, joining the likes of LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey and Ousmane Dieng, to name a few.
NBA DRAFT:All the picks, analysis, news and highlights from 2024 draft
While Sarr's offensive game still has room to grow, he projects as a home run swing prospect if everything goes right for the big man.
Here's everything to know about Sarr:
Alex Sarr scouting report
Here is a scouting report on Sarr from USA TODAY's Scooby Axson:
"There is much to like about Sarr, who is expected to come off the board early in the draft. Because of his large wingspan, he can make a difference defensively, and his athletic ability allows him to switch defensive assignments from the free-throw line to the perimeter.
"Today's NBA allows players with Sarr's size to camp outside of the paint, both offensively and defensively, which puts a premium on whether the players can stretch the defense with a consistent outside shot. Sarr's offensive game still needs to be refined, and while he won't dominate underneath the basket, he can finish strong when set up to score.
"He is only 225 pounds, so he will need time to get stronger, but he can be aggressive when he needs to be. If he does that on a nightly basis, especially if he is hitting from the perimeter and committing to post moves, the defense will have issues with him, and he won't be a liability when his team needs a clutch basket. But he shot only at 28% from three on less than two attempts per game with Perth and is a below-average free-throw shooter, so any improvement there will be beneficial.
"Sarr can space the floor in offensive sets. Although he can handle the ball, he is best useful for teams that like to get out in transition, as he can fill the lane easily and finish with authority. His mid-range game has an opportunity to be elite and will destroy teams with the pick-and-roll based on the guards he is playing with.
"Again, depending on the team that selects him, he has plenty of opportunity to become a consistent rotation player, with elite defensive skills that will keep in him in the league for years to come."
REQUIRED READING:Who is Alex Sarr? What to know about top NBA draft prospect from France
Alex Sarr stats
- 2023-24 (NBL's Perth Wildcats): 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds. 0.9 assists per game in 24 games. Also averaged 1.3 blocks and 0.5 steals per game.
Alex Sarr height, weight
- Height: 7 feet
- Weight: 224 pounds
Sarr measures at 7-foot, 224 pounds, according to his NBA profile.
veryGood! (4)
Related
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Freight train carrying corn derails near Amtrak stop in northeast Nevada, no injuries reported
- Red Sox Pitcher Tim Wakefield's Wife Stacy Wakefield Dies Less Than 5 Months After His Death
- Missing teen with autism found in New Mexico, about 200 miles away from his Arizona home
- From bitter rivals to Olympic teammates, how Lebron and Steph Curry became friends
- Medicaid expansion proposal advances through Republican-led Mississippi House, will go to Senate
- Zach Wilson landing spots: Three teams that make sense for Jets QB
- NYC officials clear another storefront illegally housing dozens of migrants in unsafe conditions
- Tropical weather brings record rainfall. Experts share how to stay safe in floods.
- West Virginia House OKs bill doctors say would eliminate care for most at-risk transgender youth
Ranking
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Jimmy Butler goes emo country in Fall Out Boy's 'So Much (For) Stardust' video
- My daughters sold Girl Scout Cookies. Here's what I learned in the Thin Mint trenches
- A billionaire-backed campaign for a new California city is off to a bumpy start
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Want to live up to 114? Oldest person in the US says 'speak your mind'
- Visitors line up to see and smell a corpse flower’s stinking bloom in San Francisco
- 2024 NFL scouting combine Thursday: How to watch defensive linemen, linebackers
Recommendation
Michigan lawmaker who was arrested in June loses reelection bid in Republican primary
Report: Chiefs release WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, save $12 million in cap space
13 Travel-Approved Loungewear Sets That Amazon Reviewers Swear By
Family Dollar is fined over $40 million due to a rodent infestation in its warehouse
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Gonzaga faces critical weekend that could extend NCAA tournament streak or see bubble burst
An Ohio city is marking 30 years since the swearing-in of former US Treasurer Mary Ellen Withrow
It's Horse Girl Spring: Here's How to Ride the Coastal Cowgirl Trend That's Back & Better Than Ever