Wizards' Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, and Bub Carrington show out at All-Star Weekend

02/17/2025 03:55 PM

Although the Washington Wizards didn’t have any All-Stars this season, their three Rising Stars displayed the organization’s progress on the national stage. Sophomore guard Bilal Coulibaly, No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr, and No. 14 overall pick Bub Carrington each had their moments in the Castrol’s Rising Stars game on Friday, and Sarr also shined in Saturday’s Skills Challenge.

The latter youngster admitted that Friday’s game went by quickly, via Monumental Sports Network’s Chase Hughes.

“It was fun,” Sarr said. “I wish it lasted longer, but it was still a pretty good experience… It was just very, very fast. Very fast-paced, the first team to 40 points. I feel like I didn’t have the time to really be nervous. I was just excited to be out there.”

The French international scored three points (1-2 FG, 1-2 3 PT) with one rebound and one assist across 10 minutes for Team T in their 40-34 semifinal loss to Team C. His lone bucket was a catch-and-shoot three over 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey to cut Team T’s deficit to 36-32.

While Sarr is a defensive player, his ability to also bring the ball up and score from all three levels is what makes him a worthy building block for Washington’s future. Now, NBA fans who haven’t tuned into Wizards games yet this season saw a glimpse of those skills.

All-Star Weekend a feel-good moment for young Wizards

Speaking of skills, Sarr and No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher formed “Team Rooks” in the Skills Challenge. Sarr completed his series of passes, shots, and dribbles in 42.3 seconds, while his fellow rookie big man did it in 38.4. Unfortunately, they finished less than one second behind the “Team Cavaliers” duo of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley in Round 1.

Regardless, Sarr holding his own against both Rising Stars and All-Stars like Mitchell and Victor Wembanyama in the Skills Challenge should only help his confidence moving forward.

Ditto for Coulibaly, who delivered a one-hand slam off a lob by Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson.

That's OUR Rising Star #ForTheDistrict | @Bilaal_6pic.twitter.com/ynXQEn4tX2

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) February 15, 2025

“That was a good one,” the two-time Rising Star said. “I thought he didn’t see me at first. When he threw it, I was like ‘I’ve gotta put that one in.'”

Coulibaly finished with four points (2-4 FG, 0-1 3 PT) with three rebounds and one steal across 12 minutes for Team M in their 40-39 loss to Team G League. The 2024 Olympic Silver Medalist also shared the floor with Carrington, who registered five points (2-2 FG, 1-1 3 PT) with four assists and one rebound in 10 minutes.

“The ball don’t ever stop bouncing for me,” the latter player said.

Carrington has a point, as he leads all rookies with 29.5 minutes per game this season. The 19-year-old deserved a vacation, but he still got more reps in ahead of Washington’s remaining 28 contests.

Meanwhile, Wizards guard Jaylen Nowell dropped a team-leading 11 points (4-9 FG, 3-6 3 PT) with one rebound, one assist, and one steal across just 10 minutes for Team EarnYourLeisure in their 36-32 loss to Team Braxton during Sunday’s G League Up Next Game Semifinal. Capital City Go-Go (Washington’s affiliate) forward Erik Stevenson added a steal in five minutes.

Finally, Wizards two-way forward Justin Champagnie tallied five points (2-3 FG, 1-1 3 PT) with one rebound and one block across six minutes for Team Swish Cultures in their 35-34 win over Team StrictlyBball. However, the 23-year-old didn’t play in their 30-26 loss to Team Braxton in the Final.

Regardless, the fact that six players in Washington’s organization each had moments of glory amid All-Star festivities is a testament to its depth and development program as it rebuilds under a new regime.

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