The Washington Wizards suffered their second straight loss in the NBA2k25 Summer League, losing 82-80 to the Portland Trailblazers. Washington’s loss was highlighted by a historically bad game on offense by this year’s No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr.
Concern is growing about Sarr’s offensive game. Tuesday, he went scoreless in 30 minutes against the Trailblazers, missing all 15 of his shots from the field, including seven three-point attempts.
The seven-footer’s shot is getting no arch with his shot. Throughout the game, his shot fell short on the front iron of the rim. His line drives contributed to his 0-of-15 shooting.
Another glaring struggle for Sarr doesn’t have good footwork to go one-on-one in the post. He resorts to picking up his dribble too early in one-on-one situations, forcing him into a tough shot or losing control of the basketball.
Through three summer league games, Sarr is averaging 6.7 points on 19.5% shooting from the field. He’s just 11.8% from three.
The Wizards’ coaching staff will have to focus on developing Sarr’s jumper and footwork in the post for him to be an effective threat on the offensive end.
Despite going scoreless, Alex Sarr shows good defense.
Alex Sarr may not have scored, but defense is the strongest part of his game. He disrupted five Blazers’ layups in the first three minutes. He also snagged five of his nine rebounds in the first quarter.
Sarr also made the necessary passes, collecting three assists for the game. In the first quarter, Sarr caught the ball in the low post but found a cutting Justin Champagnie for an and-one layup.
Sarr also registered three blocks. His defensive presence is there. The seeven-foot center is showcasing that he is a bonafide rim protector. He also can move on switches and contest shots at various levels of the court.
He doesn’t seem comfortable on the offensive end. But it’s Summer League. Hopefully, he will fit in offensively. Yet, it’s clear his offensive game needs development.
Bub Carrington catches fire after a quiet first half.
Meanwhile, fellow first-round pick Bub Carrington was quiet to start the game. He went scoreless in the first half. However, he finished the game with 20 points in an impressive second half.
Carrington shot 6-of-19 from the field, including 3-of-8 from three. After not posting any stat in the first quarter, Carrington got active trying to make the right in the second quarter. He had five assists before halftime.
Picking up his assists and playing solid on the defensive end kept Carrington engaged despite his shooting woes.
Carrington found Patrick Baldwin Jr. with a bounce pass off a pick-and-roll. Then, in the second quarter, Carrington created a fast break with his defense, creating a Blazers’ turnover before he wrapped a pass over Kris Murray’s body to find Taylor Funk for a layup and assist.
The second half turned into a Bub Carrington show. Carrington showed off his speed, taking an inbound pass to blaze down the court for a thunderous dunk. The move was very John Wall-esque.
Later in the quarter, Carrington grabbed a Blazers’ miss, paced down the court ahead in transition, and drilled a three from the top.
Carrington nailed a three off a John Butler Jr. screen. He also followed his missed layup to get a put-back, and-one.
He capped off his fiery second half with two free throws to cut the Wizards’ deficit to one possession with 13 seconds left in the game. Then, as the Wizards trailed by two with 2.7 seconds left, Carrington stole a Blazers’ inbound pass to get a quick shot up as time expired. , getting a shot up quickly. Unfortunately, the shot fell short. Yet, it was a gallant effort by the rookie.
Kyshawn George remains a work in progress as well.
The night was quiet for the Wizards’ third first-round rookie. Kyshawn George scored six points, cashing in two three-pointers.
George baked a 26-foot three for his first basket off a kickout from 2023 March Madness sensation Markquis Norwell. George’s second three was also a byproduct of the pair connecting. Norwell draws a collapsing defense before finding George for the trey.
A couple of turnovers, including overthrowing Baldwin Jr., and foul trouble kept George relegated to the bench and scoreless throughout the second half. He took a backseat.
George has promising attributes. He is a good shooter with solid form and a great stroke. An area of opportunity for him is to learn how to attack and score with the ball. His facilitating is on par. Developing a shot off the dribble will significantly improve his game.
He’ll also benefit from getting lighter on his feet defensively instead of cementing his feet in on-ball situations.
The Wizards have a lot of development needed for this trio. Each of them has flaws, but it is Summer League. The trio will eventually learn to play together, but now, there are areas of improvement needed, starting with Alex Sarr.
