The best teams have people who can dominate games.
Figuring out some of that is the task for most rebuilding teams, especially the Washington Wizards, who are starting near rock bottom. For now, the Wizards would be happy to identify some young building blocks who at least have the guts and confidence to try to turn games around through sheer force of will.
That was, perhaps, an undercurrent of an interesting answer from summer-league coach Cody Topert when he was asked Friday morning what he wanted to see from rookie Alex Sarr in his 19-year-old Wizards debut.
“He has high character,” Toppert said. “He cares about his teammates. I think we want to see a killer come out a little bit on the court. We want to see a guy who is bringing an offensive mentality on both sides of the ball, a level of physicality on defense that is going to set the baseline for what he is going to become in the future. And then on the offensive side, it has to be the level of aggression. We don’t want him hiding on the offensive end. We want him to be the victim of action.
Seven hours later, inside UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center, the Wizards’ hope-craving fan base watched as the team drafted perhaps not one, but two youngsters with killer instincts: Sarr and guard Bub Carrington.
Carrington battled through some adversity and recorded 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists on the stat sheet against the Atlanta Hawks.
“When you know you’ve hooped for it, you’ve trained for it, it just translates into confidence like butterflies,” Carrington said.
Overcoming his case of butterflies, Saar prevented Hawks players from attacking the basket. In a thrilling 23-second period, he stopped three shots.
“Protecting the rim, whenever you get a chance, you jump and get the ball,” Sars said. “It’s simple really, so I did what I had to do.”
Sarr displayed additional facets to his game. Deployed more as a facilitator than a scorer, the huge teenager handled the basketball with ease, making some deft passes and sinking a pair of 3-pointers. He finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists to go along with his four steals.
What made the night even sweeter: The Wizards won 94-88.
Do Sarr and Carrington have a lot of work to do? Yes, and that’s okay. But on Friday, he at least showed the ability and will to change the course of the game. Sarr did this with his rim protection, with Toppert calling him the “flagship” of the Wizards’ defense. A week before his 19th birthday, Carrington complemented his strong shot making with sound passing and smart court sense.
With his parents and grandparents in Baltimore City and watching from the stands, Carrington set the tone on the opening possession of the game by draining a 3-pointer from the left wing. On Washington’s next possession, he committed a shooting foul and then hit both free throws.
Toppert said, “I think the amazing thing about his game was that early on they tried to pace him and they were successful, and then he figured out how to calm down, handle the pressure and Got to run the team.” “They figured out how to organize us, which is a big responsibility.”
All the usual caveats apply about summer-league games, which aren’t really games at all but, rather, exhibitions. Washington was facing an Atlanta team that was arguably even more inexperienced and disorganized. Tough competition awaits in the fall.
But on Friday, Sarr and Carrington seemed to be handling the expectations well.
Sarr, the No. 2 pick in last month’s draft, hit two of his 3s in the second half. In both cases, he made effortless shots on the 6-foot-11 defender. On one sequence in the fourth quarter, he dived across the court to save a potential defensive rebound from going out of bounds.
“He made some tremendous blocks,” Toppert said. “They counterattacked at key points. They battled some cramps, and they were 3 very big when we needed them.
Although Sarr will play extensively in the upcoming season, the Wizards intend to be patient with his development. He’s only 225 pounds on his 7-foot frame, and one of the reasons the Wizards signed veteran Jonas Valanciunas this offseason is to have Valanciunas compete against some of the league’s toughest centers, rather than Sarr.
When the Wizards drafted Sarr, they knew his defensive skills far outweighed his offensive skills. In this sense, he resembles the Wizards’ prized second-year forward (and another Frenchman) Bilal Koulibaly. Sarr and Coulibaly are long-term plays.
Against the Hawks, Carrington, the No. 14 pick in the draft, looked impressively improved for someone who played another one season at the University of Pittsburgh. His performance mirrored his performance in Wizards practices before the trip to Las Vegas: he appeared mature beyond his years. General manager Will Dawkins has called Carrington the team’s most vocal player in recent weeks.
“I’m just trying to be a leader,” Carrington said. “I came here to play guard, and at the guard position, you have to be vocal. So, the coaches have been on me, and some of my older guys have been helping me during this time too, just trying to keep me active, trying to keep me vocal, just because I want to be a leader on the team. To become one of the.
With Carrington and Sarr, the Wizards could get much more than that.
Over time, with a lot of hard work, he could become the killer-instinct player Washington desperately needs.
Friday started well.
(Photo by Bub Carrington: Lucas Peltier/USA TODAY)
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