The Washington Wizards didn’t need Trae Young to look perfect in his season opener. They needed him to steady the room, run the offense, and make the right play when the game tightened up. He did all of that in a 128-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, and then some.
Young’s line told the story of a point guard doing exactly what a contender asks of him: 20 points, 13 assists, two steals, and just one turnover across a team-high 38 minutes. The shot wasn’t falling cleanly from the field, but that never really mattered. He kept the Wizards organized, got to the foul line, and buried three clutch free throws late to help close it out.
That kind of control is what Washington has been missing. The young talent has flashed, but the wins have often slipped away because the group hasn’t had someone who consistently makes the simple, winning decisions. On opening night, the offense got shaky early before Young settled things down, and the Wizards rolled from there, putting up 77 second-half points.
There were some rough edges, of course. Young had a few defensive issues, including while matched up with Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Still, he was plus-six in his minutes and delivered on the one thing the Wizards needed most: command. The ball moved better, the mistakes were trimmed down, and Washington outscored Milwaukee by 17 after halftime to finish the job.
This is the version of Young the Wizards bet on when they bought low on him last season, even though he only played five games after the trade. They were in a different place then, steering toward the number one overall draft pick, and that part of the plan worked. AJ Dybantsa didn’t even play in the opener, and Washington still walked away with the win.
The front office showed it believes Young can be more than a short-term fix, too. Michael Winger handed him a four-year, $212.7 million extension this offseason, a deal that carries real weight inside an organization trying to leave the rebuild behind. Young is supposed to be the point guard who makes the young players better and pushes the Wizards toward something bigger.
He looked the part against Milwaukee. The Wizards had been searching for a true floor general during this stretch of rebuilding, and Young’s 13 assists against one turnover was the kind of line that jumps off the page without needing much extra explanation. He also helped Anthony Davis produce 34 points in his Wizards debut and make team history.
It wasn’t just the headline names carrying the load. Deandre Ayton gave Washington 11 points, four rebounds, and two blocks in 15 minutes off the bench, and the Wizards were plus-six with him on the floor. Khris Middleton added 12 minutes off the bench as another veteran presence.
Washington didn’t bring in AD and Young to sit on the outside of the playoff picture. The goal is to compete now, even if the younger pieces bring some growing pains along the way.
That’s why this win mattered. The Bucks are not expected to contend, but these are the games the Wizards need to bank if they want to make the postseason.
Young has missed the playoffs the last three years, but he knows what it takes to get there. He helped lead the Hawks to the conference finals in 2021, and he showed on opening night that he can still tilt a game with pace, poise, and control.
For Washington, that was the point of the trade in the first place. In the season opener, it paid off.
In Other News...
Wizards Fans Still Have One Frustrating Wait With AJ Dybantsa
AJ Dybantsas arrival in Washington has already had to take a detour, with the Wizards No. 1 draft pick sidelined after an ankle injury in the final preseason game. The setback came at an awkward time for a franchise trying to build momentum around a top prospect, even if the team has continued to frame the injury as something that should not linger long-term.
For now, the wait is the frustrating part for Wizards fans who were hoping to see their new centerpiece right away. Dybantsa is still expected to make his NBA debut later in the season, and the buzz around him has only grown after Trae Young spoke highly of his skill and upside during the preseason. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Davis Just Changed What AJ Dybantsa Could Walk Into
Anthony Davis finally gave Washington a first look at the version of itself it has been trying to build around, and the debut came with plenty of reminders of why his presence changes everything. Against Milwaukee, Davis piled up 34 points and 12 rebounds while also filling the box score in other ways, giving the Wizards a true front-line focal point and forcing opponents to account for him every trip down the floor.
For a rookie like AJ Dybantsa, who sat out with an ankle injury and watched from the bench, that kind of gravitational pull matters. Washington has spent plenty of time searching for easier touches and cleaner spacing for its younger players, and Davis ability to command defensive attention could make Dybantsas eventual return a lot more comfortable than it would have been before this debut. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Opener Raised One Huge Question About This Teams Ceiling
The Wizards opened the season by knocking off the Bucks 128-116, a result that immediately gives this group a different kind of early-season buzz. Anthony Davis made the kind of first impression teams hope for when they bring in a centerpiece, powering Washington with 34 points and 12 rebounds in a debut that matched a franchise mark and gave the lineup a clear focal point on both ends.
Still, the performance also left one obvious question hanging over the win. Washington did enough to control the night, but the offense was choppy from deep, finishing under 30 percent from three and getting little help from key perimeter looks, which is the sort of issue that can travel from a feel-good opener into a much tougher conversation about how high this team can climb. [Read more 🡒]