With the season nearly over, the Washington Wizards have decided to do something... unique for one of their games. Facing a slew of injuries to their roster, head coach Brian Keefe decided to start Jordan Poole, Bub Carrington, AJ Johnson, Alex Sarr... and Tristan Vukcevic.
Yes, the Wizards tried out a twin tower lineup to see how it would fare. Individually, both players played well. Sarr, coming off a career game, scored 22 points on 50% shooting from the field and from deep, and added nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Vukcevic, on the other hand, shot an impressive 8-11 from the field en route to 17 points, and he grabbed five boards and two blocks.
It was an intriguing look for the Wizards, who seem to be experimenting with potential lineups for the future. When asked about the new-look starting lineup, Keefe had this to say.
"It's pretty good," Keefe said of the Sarr-Vukcevic pairing. "They knew how to space with each other. One would sometimes run to the trail spot, one [would] run to the corner. They could cross match defensively in transition. ... They're both skillful bigs so they figure out the spacing with each other which can sometimes be tough. I liked it."
Vukcevic has come mostly off the bench, acting as a reliever for Sarr. This was his first start this season, and he responded pretty well. In the games where he came off the bench, he averaged just 6.6 points per game. Over the last few games, though, Vukcevic has seen more playing time.
Sarr, meanwhile, is starting to get his proverbial legs under him. The 2024 second-overall pick has been playing impressively as of late, posting a career-high in the Wizards' win over the Nuggets. He's averaging 16.9 points per game in the month of March, a good sign of things to come.
Related: Alex Sarr's Epic Career Night Sets New Wizards Record
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This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 8:53 PM.