The Wizards didn’t hand Trae Young a four-year, $212 million extension in June just to watch him blend into the background. The idea was pretty simple: pay the four-time All-Star, keep the floor general, and trust that when a game needed a jolt, Young could still go get buckets the way he did for seven years with the Atlanta Hawks.
That part hasn’t shown up.
Through 10 games, Young’s scoring punch has been nowhere near the level Washington expected, and the latest example came in a blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He finished with just four points on 1-for-6 shooting, a rough night that fit the larger trend.
The passing is still there. The scoring burst?
Not so much.
It’s early, sure. Ten games is a tiny slice of an 82-game season.
But right now, Young hasn’t topped 30 points in any game this year, which is a sharp drop for a player who has spent his career as a high-end scorer. He’s been a 25-point-per-game guy over his career and once nearly pushed 30 a night as early as his second season.
If the season ended today, the numbers would land in uncomfortable territory. Young would be staring at career lows in both points and assists per game in seasons where he’s played more than half the schedule, which applies to every season except last year. His shooting has also dipped to 39.8 percent, another career low for a player who was never exactly known as a precision shooter even during his four All-Star seasons.
That’s the part that has to make the Wizards uneasy.
Still, this roster may be built to absorb a different version of Young. He no longer has to carry everything by himself, especially with the recent absence of future Hall of Famer Anthony Davis from the lineup.
Third-year wing Kyshawn George has stepped forward with a breakout stretch, averaging 18.5 points while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from deep. No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa is also settling in nicely, putting up 16 points per game and reinforcing that the decision Dawkins and Winger made to take him first was the right one.
Young still matters here, and he matters a lot, because his playmaking remains special. But for a player on max money, the nights where he finishes under 20 points and under 40 percent from the floor are hard to ignore.
In Other News...
Wizards Face A Harsh Detroit Test With Two Big Problems Unsolved
The Wizards early 4-3 start has given way to a rougher stretch on the road, and the next stop does not offer much relief. Detroit brings a strong defense into the matchup, which puts even more pressure on Washington to find cleaner offense and a more reliable scoring presence than it has had during this skid.
Alex Sarrs aggressive play has been one of the more encouraging signs in the recent loss, but the larger issue remains the same: Washington still has questions about whether he can turn that activity into consistent scoring. With the roster also dealing with the absence of key players such as Anthony Davis and Deandre Ayton, the Wizards are heading into a difficult test with one of their biggest problems still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Start Feels Real But One Concern Still Hasn't Gone Away
The early returns on Washingtons frontcourt experiment have been uneven, even as the bigger picture around the team keeps shifting. Through 10 games, the pairing of Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr has not yet produced the kind of offensive rhythm the Wizards were hoping for, and that has put a little extra scrutiny on how the group functions when the two are sharing the floor.
There are other moving parts around the league that only sharpen the focus on Washingtons own development, from Desmond Bane missing a game because of illness to rookie Ryan Conwell earning a larger role with the Heat. Atlantas recent surge has also underscored how quickly a frontcourt can change the tone of a season, which is why the Wizards are still watching closely for signs that their own interior alignment can settle in before the concerns become a bigger issue. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards May Have A Cheap Fix For Their Bench Problem
The Kings decision to reshuffle their draft assets with Oklahoma City has only added another layer to the offseason trade chatter, and it could end up mattering in Washington. For a Wizards team looking for a cheaper way to shore up its bench, Precious Achiuwa has been floated as the kind of low-cost frontcourt piece that could help with scoring and rebounding without forcing a major overhaul of the roster.
Washington still has to decide how aggressive it wants to be, especially if Sacramento starts asking for more than a simple pick swap in return. Bilal Coulibaly has been mentioned as the sort of player the Kings might covet, which is exactly why this kind of idea is still in the speculative stage for now, but the fit is easy enough to understand for a Wizards club trying to find useful depth without spending big. [Read more 🡒]