Rudy Gobert gives Alex Sarr ‘body’ advice after Timberwolves blow out Wizards

WASHINGTON, DC — Sophomore Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr has established himself as one of the best players in his draft class this season, but he didn’t play like it in his team’s 141-115 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. The biggest reason was four times NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobertwho educated him at both ends.

The last player told ClutchPoints after the game the advice he has because Sar is moving forward.

“He’s got all the talent and all the skills, I think it’s just his body. Keep working on your body, keep getting stronger,” Gobert said. “As a 7-footer, being somebody who’s very long, your game has a big impact. I think that’s going to be key for him, being available to his team every night.”

Sarr has more offensive skill than Gobert and is only an inch shorter, but the three-time All-Star is 53 pounds heavier, which is very useful in low conditions. The two bigs battled each other throughout the game, with Gobert scoring 18 points (8-10 FG) with 14 rebounds, four blocks and one turnover in 29 minutes, while Sarr had just seven points (3-10 FG, 1-2 3-point) with three rebounds, four assists, two turnovers and 26 minutes.

“Keep getting stronger, keep working on your recovery, your cardio, your strength,” continued the fellow Frenchman. “All these things are going to help him be what he can be, and I think he can be a great player on both ends. The things he’s been doing defensively has impressed me. I didn’t think he was going to do it right now, so it’s cool to watch.”

Sarr leads the NBA with 2.3 blocks per game despite being on a minutes restriction as he returned from an adductor injury. Combine that with the fact that the 20-year-old is averaging 17.2 points on 49.9 percent shooting (35.5 percent from 3-point range) with three assists despite not having a full-time point guard to open up opportunities for him, and it’s clear why Gobert respects him.

However, physical dominance will always be essential to a center’s success in the NBA, even in today’s three-point era. Sunday’s game showed that Sarr has room to improve in that area.

Total choice no. 2 for 2024 is listed at seven-foot-1, 205 pounds, while Gobert is seven-foot-one, 258 pounds. Not even the most skilled player in the world could outplay a heavier man in that situation, and that’s a problem at a position where rebounding and rim protection are two of the biggest responsibilities. It’s hard to beat rebounds and defend inside against much stronger players.

Fortunately for Sarah, he has time to improve in the coming years. Once the 2025 first-team All-Rookie honoree does that while maintaining his agility, he could become better than Gobert ever was because of his offensive talent. Much like Gobert, Sarr played for the French national team and is one of the best French hoopers in the world, so he’s on the right track.

Gobert’s advice also shows how generous veterans can be with their knowledge, even those on opposing teams. Picking their brains could be fruitful for Sarah, as multiple All-Stars stacked resumes for a reason.

CJ McCollum acknowledges Anthony Edwards after a 35-point game

Gobert wasn’t the only Minnesota player to show up at Capital One Arena on Sunday night. Superstar guard Anthony Edwards had a typically electric game, totaling 35 points (14-21 FG, 6-10 3-point) with six rebounds, four steals and three assists in 30 minutes.

Veteran Wizards guard CJ McCollum answered the question by asking if there was any way to tie it they throw elite players lightly like Edwards off their game.

I asked CJ McCollum what makes Anthony Edwards so good, and if there’s any way to get such players out of the game even a little bit (thread):

CJ: “How many points does he have on average?”

Me: “29 or 30.”

CJ: “So you’re not going to stop him, he’s getting 30 a night. Bad night…” pic.twitter.com/bJUVpKs79EF

— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) January 5, 2026

“How many points does he have on average?” asked the 34-year-old.

“29 or 30,” ClutchPoints replied.

“So you don’t stop him; he gets 30 a night,” he continued. “A bad night is 28, right? So I think it’s just about making it tough, making him shoot tough twos. He’s going to take his threes and get to the rim, and he scored at all three levels tonight like he’s done all year. He got four or five more than average tonight.”

Edwards now ranks seventh in the NBA with 29.4 points per game on 50.6 percent shooting (40 percent from 3-point range) entering Monday night. The 24-year-old is the biggest reason the Timberwolves have reached the Western Conference finals the last two seasons and the playoffs the previous four. They now sit in the sixth seed in the West and just 2.5 games behind the San Antonio Spurs for second place.

When Washington develops/acquires a player of that caliber, and Sarr becomes as strong as Gobert, then he could have similar team success. The bright side for the Wizards is that they’ll have the resources to pursue that goal this summer, either by drafting a star lottery prospect or using their projected nine-figure salary cap space to land a veteran.

Next up for Washington is a home game against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, before a road game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.