Trae Young’s first few nights in a Wizards uniform have already changed the look of Washington’s offense, but Saturday’s win over the Chicago Bulls also served as a reminder that the finish still needs work.
Young has come out firing to start the season, scoring at least 20 points in each of his first three games. Across that stretch, he has piled up 67 points and 34 assists, while turning the ball over just eight times. That works out to an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.25-to-1, a strong sign of how cleanly he’s running the offense so far.
The passing is the biggest headline. Young is leading the league in assists at 11.3 per game, and that kind of playmaking gives Washington a different gear.
He’s making life easier for teammates by pushing the ball before defenses are set and controlling tempo, which should help the Wizards in an area where they struggled last season. Washington ranked 18th in the NBA in fast-break points, averaging 14.4 per game.
Even when the jumper goes cold, Young has still found ways to swing games. In the Wizards’ win over Milwaukee, he missed all six of his 3-point attempts but still finished with 20 points, 13 assists and a plus-minus of +6. In other words, Washington was outscoring Milwaukee by six points while he was on the floor.
That kind of impact is exactly what makes Young such a dangerous engine for this team. He can still drive offense even when the shot isn’t dropping, and that separates him from most point guards around the league.
But the Bulls game showed the other side of the equation. Washington led by double digits in the fourth quarter, then watched Chicago rip off a 19-6 run late to cut the margin to 118-115 with 23.3 seconds left. Suddenly, a game that should have been comfortable turned into a tense finish, and the Wizards’ late-game execution came under real pressure.
The early returns on Young are encouraging. The challenge now is making sure Washington matches that spark with sharper closing execution. If the Wizards do that, his playmaking could mean a lot more than just prettier numbers - it could turn into more wins and, as the source suggests, a potential playoff push.
In Other News...
Wizards Already Have An Anthony Davis Problem They Can't Ignore
Anthony Davis has already become central to Washingtons early-season push, and his role was on display in the Wizards 124-120 win over the Bulls. He finished with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists, giving the 2-1 Wizards the steady production they have come to expect from the player who has looked like their best option to start the year.
The bigger issue now is not what Davis is doing on the floor, but what happens once the front office has to turn that production into long-term security. Washington views him as a key piece of its contention hopes, and there has already been reporting that he is open to a deal below the maximum, yet the team has not moved forward on extension talks. For a club trying to build momentum early, that kind of delay is the sort of matter that can linger. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Young Core Showed Promise But One Problem Still Looms
After a loss to Toronto, the Wizards needed something steadier than a moral victory, and they got it in Chicago with a 124-120 road win that offered another glimpse of the young core's upside. Kyshawn George looked more settled, Justin Champagnie battled on the glass, and Bub Carrington gave Washington useful minutes off the bench on both ends, the sort of contributions that matter for a team trying to sort out who can help shape the next stage.
Still, the game also showed why these lessons are not all clean. Washington built enough separation to look in control, then had to sweat through a finish that got far tighter than it should have after Chicago chipped into the margin late. For a roster still learning how to close, the talent is starting to show, but the late-game execution remains the part that can undo all that progress in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Still Waiting As AJ Dybantsa Absence Starts To Matter
AJ Dybantsas early season introduction with the Wizards has been delayed longer than the team probably expected. The rookie remains sidelined with an ankle injury and will miss another game as Washington gets ready to face Charlotte, continuing a stretch that has kept him out of the lineup while the team leans on its veteran core to steady things.
The injury is still being treated as something the Wizards do not want to rush, with head coach Brian Keefe calling it not serious and the staff taking a cautious approach to his recovery. In the meantime, Trae Young and Anthony Davis have taken on the leadership load, helping guide younger players through the opening weeks while Washington waits for Dybantsa to get back on the floor. [Read more 🡒]