Why Alex Sarr isn't playing in NBA Rising Stars game to represent Wizards originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
One of the most tantalizing young talents in the NBA is Washington Wizards big guy Alex Sarr.
He's the kind of player fans really only get introduced to on a national stage in an event like the league's Rising Stars competition.
This year, though, fans won't get to see Sarr play in that. He's unavailable.
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Why isn't Alex Sarr playing in the Rising Stars event?
Sarr is out with an injury.
The Wizards announced Thursday that Sarr is due to miss approximately two weeks with a hamstring strain.
Sarr, 20, showed up on the Washington injury report Wednesday and missed that night's game, but he hadn't shown a hamstring injury on any other report this season.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft out of France has continued to improve his game in his second season. He's averaging 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game.
The Wizards go into the break at just 14-39, so they'll still need to do a lot more building around Sarr.
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But after a rookie season where Sarr's future didn't seem sure, he now looks like a foundational building block for what Washington does going forward.
The Wizards also have restructured, aiming to have Trae Young and Anthony Davis in the future, too. This could end up being an intriguing squad.
But at least on Friday night, Sarr won't get to show what he can do.