The hard hit for the French team: Sarr package for the EuroBasket
It's the kind of news that falls like an uppercut in the middle of the third quarter. Alex Sarr, the new Wizard nugget, announced as one of the pillars of the tricolor racket, must draw a line on the EuroBasket. The fault of a recalcitrant right calf, injury occurred during the victory against Slovenia on Saturday. The Federation statement is dry, almost clinical: the healing time is "incompatible" with the rest of the competition. Curtain.
Sarr had already missed defeat against Israel on Sunday, and he will not be there either against Poland or Iceland. And even if France hangs the eighth, it will be without him. Hard hit, huge hit, for a team already well lightened inside.
France faces a major challenge
The balance sheet was so far positive (2 wins, 1 defeat). But on the ground, the equation is more complicated than it seems. The domestic sector, already deprived of several major executives, finds itself decimated, we saw it well in front of Israel...
On one side, Vincent Collet has to tinker with what's left. On the other hand, the keys to the yard under the circle are handed over to young players who must grow faster than expected. In other words, finding impact, hardness and regularity... even though the most talented player in this sector has just come out of the picture.
Uncertain return for the training camp
The good news is that the package mainly concerns the French team. For Wizards, the timing is less catastrophic. The training camp starts in four weeks, the regular season in just over seven. If the rehabilitation goes smoothly, Sarr should be restored in time to attack his second NBA season.
But it's impossible to deny it: a muscle injury to the calf, it doesn't settle with a finger slap. Caution will be required. And in Washington, we know very well that we won't have to crack the stages.
A rising star to watch
Drafted in second place last year, Alex Sarr has confirmed all expectations since his rookie season. First quintet All-Rookie, solid averages (13 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 against in 27 minutes). A rare versatility, defensive flashes already NBA-ready and this impression that it can be an anchor for a franchise in reconstruction.
Its shot remains to be polished, its efficiency must climb (39.4% at the shoot, 67.9% at the throws), but at 20 years, the potential is stratospheric. That's why his absence from the EuroBasket hurts so much: beyond the direct impact on the game, it was a perfect tournament to speed up his progress, harden in cutting matches and rub with the European elite.
The EuroBasket will continue without him, but France will have to prove that it can hold the shock without its nugget. As for Sarr, he still has a mission: to come back stronger to attack the NBA season and show that this misadventure was only a parenthesis in a career that already looks like one of the most scrutinized in the coming years.
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