No. 2 pick Alex Sarr makes his feelings clear about ROTY race despite shooting below 40%

As Alex Sarr approaches the end of his tumultuous first season in the NBA, he firmly believes he's in the mix for the Rookie of the Year race. The Washington Wizards big man, who was selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, said he belongs in that conversation despite the offensive struggles.

Sarr, who at 19 is one of the youngest players in the NBA, spoke to The Washington Post's Ben Golliver on Tuesday, where he showed off confidence in himself. Sarr made his feelings clear about not being mentioned enough in the top rookie race.

"I definitely belong in that conversation," Sarr said. “That’s not up to me. Everything is out there: the games and the stats. We’ll see what happens at the end. I’ve been constantly improving through the season, and I’m finishing out strong, trying to keep building that momentum.”

Sarr ranks among the top rookies in several statistical categories. In 63 games this season, he's averaging 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 blocks. With those numbers, Sarr is second in scoring, second in blocks and fifth in rebounds among all rookies.

Despite the fairly well-rounded boxscore production and undeniable defensive impact, his case for the Rookie of the Year award boils down to his offensive inefficiency for many.

NBA: Washington Wizards at Boston Celtics - Source: Imagn

Sarr is shooting just 39.6%, including 31.5% from the 3-point line. Out of all players to play 50 games this season, he has the eighth lowest effective field goal percentage (eFG%), a stat that adjusts FG% to account for the fact that 3-pointers count for three points instead of two.

Much of these shooting woes can be attributed to Sarr not establishing a strong enough presence around the rim. Over 41% of his shots this season have come from beyond the arc, and he also has a proclivity to settle for difficult looks in the midrange.

Even when Sarr uses his size and plays around the basket, he's struggled to do so dominantly, shooting 51.9% around the rim, almost 8% less than the league average.

Sarr's shooting inconsistencies have left many wondering if he can take the leap towards being a productive two-way player or if he'll never be more than a strong defender.

Alex Sarr remains top three on the NBA's latest rookie ladder

Alex Sarr has had a rookie season full of ups and downs, but the French big man still finds himself as one of the top players in his class and is on a shortlist of candidates to win Rookie of the Year.

Despite his shooting splits of 39.6%, 31.5% on 3-pointers and 67% on free throws, he's ranked third on the NBA's latest rookie ladder, which was released on April 2. Over the past few weeks, Sarr has risen from outside the top five in the race to within striking distance of No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher and the award's current favorite, Stephon Castle.

The Wizards are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and have the second-worst record in the NBA behind only the Utah Jazz.