You should never call bust on a prospect because of one Summer League game, but Washington Wizards No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr did his detractors plenty of favors on Tuesday.
The big man went a horrific 0-for-15 from the field (0-for-7 from 3-point range) against the Portland Trail Blazers, finishing the game with zero points, nine rebounds, three steals, two blocks, two assists and two turnovers in a 82-80 loss for the Wizards. Even a 1-for-15 performance would have evened the score.
Sarr’s misses were diverse in nature. He was 0-for-4 under the basket. He was 0-for-4 in the rest of the paint. He was 0-for-3 on corner 3-point attempts. He was 0-for-4 at the rest of the perimeter.
Here is what that looks like, via NBA.com:
The “performance” makes a bit more sense when you realize that Sarr was facing Blazers center Donovan Clingan, the No. 7 overall pick of his draft. It was a matchup of the two highest-drafted big men of the draft, which Clingan won decisively with eight points, 13 rebounds, five blocks, two assists and three turnovers.
Clingan wasn’t responsible for all or even most of Sarr’s misses, but the two-time NCAA champion definitely imposed his will:
We will repeat: you should not think Sarr is an automatic bust only because of an extremely bad shooting night. However, if you thought the Wizards and other assorted draftniks were too high on a rail-thin big man with little experience against top competition and an offensive game that still needs plenty of development, this is probably vindicating to read.
The scouting reports on Sarr have always focused on his defense as the side of the court where he brings immediate value and significant long-term potential, with the hope that he can be a Chet Holmgren-esque pick-and-pop threat on offense. Tuesday showed he might have a ways to go before he’s even close to that.
Or he could go off in his next game or two, because this is Summer League.
