The Washington Wizards left Atlanta with another loss, and the night ended with a few clear takeaways. Kyshawn George kept flashing star-level upside, Trae Young’s return to Atlanta came with a messy stat line, and Tre Johnson may have finally started climbing out of his early-season slump.
George was the biggest bright spot by a wide margin. He finished with 33 points and seven assists, and he kept doing damage from deep, knocking down five of seven shots from three.
Over his last three games, he’s been piling up production at a ridiculous clip, and this one only added to the case that he’s becoming the engine of this team. He can handle the ball, create offense, score at all three levels, defend, and rebound.
The only real concern in this game was foul trouble, because when he stays on the floor, he looks like a player who can change everything for Washington.
Young’s night had a different kind of energy. With the emotions of a homecoming in Atlanta, he came in looking to make a statement, but the result was rough around the edges.
He still handed out 10 assists, but he also coughed it up eight times. The ball security was the issue, and it felt like he was forcing the moment a little too much instead of settling into the version of himself that has worked all season.
The one encouraging note was that he looked a bit better from three than he has so far this year.
Johnson gave the Wizards something they badly needed. Coming off the bench, he scored 23 points and hit five of his 10 three-point attempts, a much-needed jolt after a shaky start to his season.
For a player taken sixth overall in 2025, nights like this are exactly what Washington needs to see. The scoring is the foundation; everything else can build from there.
Deandre Ayton also drew attention, but not in a way that points toward a clean fit in the starting group. He has been excellent off the bench, but the double-big look with Alex Sarr still doesn’t seem to work when Ayton starts.
Without the kind of spacing that Anthony Davis and Sarr can provide, the offense gets cramped, the ball movement suffers, and too much of the attack gets funneled into pick-and-rolls. If Sarr or Davis are out, the Wizards probably shouldn’t keep going to that starting setup.
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Tre Johnsons rough night was part of the problem, and so were the broader stretches of inconsistency that have followed this group from game to game. For a Wizards team trying to build something sturdier, the concern is not just one bad result, but whether the same uneven performances keep showing up when the schedule should offer a chance to compete. [Read more 🡒]
Kyshawn George Is Forcing A New Wizards Conversation Around AJ Dybantsa
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Georges rise has also sharpened the conversation around AJ Dybantsa and what the Wizards need to build around him. If George keeps trending up, Washington may have more than one promising piece to shape its future, which is exactly the kind of internal momentum a rebuilding team wants to find. [Read more 🡒]