Alexandre

Sarr

Sarr certainly had his struggles during Summer League, but his first two preseason games have been encouraging. After he put up a 15/3/4 line with three 3-pointers against Toronto, he followed it up with some extra rebounds and blocks against New York. Sarr has loads of upside, and dynasty managers will be encouraged by his performance during the preseason. He may end up being worth a late round dart throw in redraft leagues, but he will have some struggles to work through, such as a poor field goal percentage, as we saw in this game.

After shooting 0-of-15 in their last game, Sarr was at least able to knock down a shot in this one. However, it only ended up being one make. While the scoring production hasn’t been there for Sarr often this summer, he has been able to contribute in other ways. He was drafted as a long-term project on offense that could make an impact defensively immediately, which has been the case this summer. He has plenty of upside to contribute in fantasy as a rookie, but he needs to start shooting the ball more efficiently for that to happen.

Sunday’s matchup wasn’t the easiest for Sarr, especially after the Rockets inserted veteran center Orlando Robinson into the lineup. The rookie missed all five of his 3-point attempts and did not attempt a free throw; his physicality will need to improve, but that should happen as Sarr adds muscle to his lithe frame. If anything, Sarr’s play shows why the Wizards signed Jonas Valanciunas in free agency. The veteran’s presence will help the rookie acclimate to the NBA without having too much responsibility immediately thrown his way.

It’s a bit of a surprising move for both sides as Valanciunas opts to sign with a rebuilding team, and Washington adds another center to a frontcourt that includes Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley III and just drafted Alex Sarr with the No. 2 pick in the draft. Valanciunas’ minutes were cut in his last season with New Orleans, and his production suffered because of it. It’s unclear what kind of role he’ll have in Washington, but all of the abovementioned players likely get a ding in fantasy value. New Orleans lost Larry Nance Jr. to the Hawks in the Dejounte Murray trade, so the Pelicans may be forced to give big minutes to rookie center Yves Missi right away.

The 7’1” center from France has been widely touted as one of the top prospects in this draft class, but that isn’t because of what he provided statistically. In 30 games for Perth (NBL) this past season, he averaged just 9.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 18.0 minutes per game. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but his athleticism on film certainly does. Not only did he showcase the ability to lock down the paint and block shots, but he was also able to switch onto perimeter players and still be effective, which is a vital skill in today’s NBA. When Perth matched up against the G League Ignite in September, Sarr had 26 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks while facing off against multiple other top prospects. He has the makings of an elite defender that can also have success as the roll man on offense, and he has also showcased upside as a shooter. Washington has cleared the way for Sarr in his rookie season by trading away Deni Avdija ahead of the draft. Sarr should play a ton of minutes during his rookie season and should be in the conversation for Rookie of the Year.

The Hawks hold the first overall pick in the June 26-27 draft, yet they still have not worked out one of the players in the conversation to be selected. While a native of Bordeaux, France, Sarr spent this past season in Australia, playing for the Perth Wildcats as part of the NBL’s Next Stars program. He possesses the physical dimension of a center but can also fill in at power forward, with some comparing him to current Cavs star Evan Mobley. Atlanta will have Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu under contract next season, which could influence their thinking regarding the first overall pick. In addition to Sarr, fellow Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher is another player believed to be in the mix to go first overall.