The Washington Wizards are running out of runway, and the answer staring them in the face is a tough one: put Anthony Davis at center more often and move Alex Sarr to the bench.
That’s the cleanest way to get the most out of a team that has dropped five straight and needs a jolt. Davis has been Washington’s best player, and the numbers back it up.
The Wizards are 10.1 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor, and he’s producing at a star level with 25.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks in 33.2 minutes per game. If Washington is serious about contending, maximizing those minutes has to come first.
The problem is the frontcourt pairing. Davis and Sarr have not fit together, and the on-court results have been rough: a negative 5.7 net rating in 148 minutes and an ugly 106.9 offensive rating.
The spacing is cramped, and the issue gets worse because Davis and Sarr both struggle from 3-point range. With AJ Dybantsa and Trae Young also not knocking down long-range jumpers, the starting group’s spacing turns into a mess.
Washington has to prioritize its star duo and the number one overall pick, which leaves Sarr as the obvious player to sit.
Davis is at his best as a center, even if that’s not the spot he prefers. The Lakers figured that out when they made him their primary five starting in the 2021-22 season, and it paid off by opening the floor and sharpening his defensive impact.
The same logic applies in Washington. He may not love playing center, but it’s the position that gives him the biggest impact.
The numbers make the case even louder. Washington has a 6.1 net rating with Davis on the floor and Sarr on the bench.
When they share the court, that number flips to negative 5.7. When both sit, it drops all the way to negative 13.8.
Only nine teams have a better net rating than 6.1 this season. In other words, the Wizards look like a playoff team when Davis is manning the five.
There’s also a practical side to this. Davis’ rebounding and blocks are down because he’s spending more time away from the basket than he should.
Washington wants him creating chaos in the paint, not drifting away from the rim. Playing him at center gives the Wizards more offensive spacing and better interior defense, which is exactly what they need if they want to end a five-year playoff drought.
Sarr, meanwhile, could actually benefit from a change in role. His production has dipped across the board, with 9.5 points per game and just 7.8 field goal attempts per night.
Last season, he averaged 16.3 points while taking 13.7 shots a game. A move to the second unit could give him the touches he’s missing now and put him in position to get easier looks at the rim.
That matters because the bench has not held up its end. Tre Johnson is averaging 9.4 points, but he’s shooting 36.4 percent from the field and 26.3 percent on his 3-point attempts.
Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, and Deandre Ayton have also struggled to make shots. Washington needs more punch from that group, and Sarr could provide it.
The idea isn’t to bury him. It’s to let him touch the ball more, take more shots, and help stabilize the second unit.
The 21-year-old can still protect the rim and make plays, and the Wizards could use that kind of presence against opposing reserves. He could be a 15-point-per-game scorer off the bench, and the added spacing around him might make that possible.
He’s also more athletic than Ayton, which only strengthens the case for reshuffling the big-man rotation.
Washington hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2021 and hasn’t won a playoff series since 2017. The Wizards came into this year hoping to change that, but a 4-8 start has already put them in a hole. They’re two games behind the top six and five back of the best team in the East, and they can’t afford to let the gap grow.
So the path is clear. Lean into Davis at center.
Give Sarr a different role. Remove Ayton from the rotation.
Let Sarr be a two-way force against second units. It’s a bold move, especially since Sarr has started every game of his NBA career and Davis won’t be thrilled about playing the five full-time.
But if Washington wants to win, this is the move that gives it the best chance.
In Other News...
Wizards Fans Had To Love AJ Dybantsas Response To Scary Hit
AJ Dybantsa gave Wizards fans a little bit of everything in a bruising matchup with Detroit, starting with a scary collision with Cade Cunningham that left him visibly bleeding from the mouth. The moment could have easily taken him out of the game, but instead he stayed on the floor and kept competing, the kind of response that tends to resonate in Washington even in a loss.
Dybantsa finished with five points, eight rebounds and four assists as the Wizards pushed the Pistons deep into extra time before Detroit finally pulled away. Cunninghams huge night powered the Pistons, but Washington had to appreciate the way Dybantsa handled the hit and kept playing through it, a tough-minded sequence that fit the tone of a game that never really let up. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Loss Put Alex Sarrs Role Into Sharper Focus
Alex Sarr gave the Wizards a rare bright spot in a loss to Detroit, turning in one of the more encouraging individual performances of Washingtons season. The rookies scoring burst and work on the glass stood out even as the team kept stumbling, and it added another data point to the idea that his development can still be a meaningful part of the franchises long-term picture.
What made the night more interesting was not just the production, but what it said about how Washington is using him. Sarr has been on the floor plenty, yet his place in the offense has not always matched the value he can bring when he is involved early and often. For a team still searching for traction, giving him a bigger say in how possessions unfold could help answer more than one question at once. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards May Be Reaching A Breaking Point With Deandre Ayton
The Wizards six-game slide has pushed the front office and coaching staff into a difficult spot, and Deandre Ayton is suddenly at the center of it. His role has been shrinking as his production has dipped, and the teams numbers with him on the floor have not helped his case. For a club trying to steady itself after a rough stretch, every rotation decision now feels like a referendum on what still works and what does not.
Brian Keefe has already trimmed Aytons minutes, and the next step could be even more significant if Washington decides it needs a different look in the middle. The Wizards are trying to squeeze more value out of their center minutes as they search for answers, and Aytons place in that equation is far from settled. What happens next will say a lot about how quickly this team is willing to pivot while the losses keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]