The NBA took to Mexico City this Saturday for an Eastern Conference matchup between the Miami Heat and Washington Wizards. While Miami won the game in blowout fashion, Wizards rookie Alexandre Sarr stole the show with his tantalizing flashes of two-way dominance.

The second overall pick had his best game to date, filling all aspects of the stat sheet. In his 27 minutes of play, he looked to score the ball whenever he could en route to an impressive 17-point showing. He was guarded by five-time all-defense big man Bam Adebayo, but that didn’t seem to phase the 19-year-old Frenchman. He drove the ball at Adebayo’s chest with aggression, utilizing every inch of his 7-foot frame and 7-foot-4 wingspan to convert 7 of his 11 tries from inside the arc, even over the outstretched contests of Miami’s star center. He also nailed an above-the-break three when Adebayo dared him to shoot. 

Further, Sarr continued his success on the defensive side of the ball. As a prospect, he was most heralded for his versatile defending, and that has quickly materialized at the NBA level. He currently ranks fourth in the entire NBA with 2.8 blocks per game on average. Four of these came against Miami down in Mexico City, where he slid over in help defense to send back multiple tries from all-star wing Jimmy Butler, and even reject one of Adebayo’s shots. 

Throughout Sarr’s career-best showing, he continually displayed his intriguing two-way potential. His movement skills and length already make him an impactful defender, with all the room for growth as he fills out his frame and improves his understanding of NBA actions. Offensively, while more of a work-in-progress, Sarr brings a foundation of advantageous physical traits and burgeoning scoring skill. He still needs to refine his shot-making consistency at all levels of the floor, but performances like his standout game against Miami offer a glimpse of the player Sarr can become as he sharpens his skill-set. His development is worth monitoring as he looks to build upon his early Rookie Of The Year bid. 

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