The Washington Wizards had every reason to brace for a familiar collapse late against the Orlando Magic. Down seven with a little more than two minutes left, Trae Young’s turnover sparked a Magic break, the kind of sequence that used to sink Washington in a hurry. Last season, the Wizards gave up the second-most transition points in the league, so the danger was obvious.
But this time, the finish belonged to Washington’s defense.
Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson got in front of a Franz Wagner drive and shut it down. Then AJ Dybantsa attacked Desmond Bane over a ball screen, forced the ball out of his hands, and finished the possession with a steal that sealed the Wizards’ fourth win.
That closing stand fits the bigger story around this team. Washington’s defense has jumped from the worst defensive rating in NBA history to eighth in the league, and the group still looks like it has another level to reach. The combination of veteran help and growth from the young core has completely changed the look of the unit.
What makes that rise even more encouraging is that the Wizards are doing it without fully tapping into their best defensive pieces yet. Dybantsa, whose length and size gave Washington real upside on that end from the start, missed four games earlier this season with an ankle injury he suffered in the preseason. Since coming back, he has been on a minutes restriction, though the flashes have been there.
Davis has also been limited by circumstances. With Alex Sarr out, he has been pushed into more perimeter-heavy defensive work than usual, spending time chasing skilled bigs away from the rim instead of doing the traditional shot-blocking job he normally handles. That has shown up in the numbers, with career lows in rim contests and blocks per 100 possessions.
Even so, Washington has already found a strong defensive baseline. When Davis, Sarr and Dybantsa share the floor, the Wizards own a 96.3 defensive rating. That kind of number hints at how much higher the ceiling can climb once the roster is whole and the preferred roles are back in place.
The encouraging part is that the growth isn’t limited to the newcomers. Kyshawn George has made a real defensive leap after a rough season a year ago. His length makes him a problem for guards on the perimeter, and he has the size to switch onto bigger forwards when needed.
Justin Champagnie has carved out an important spot in the rotation too. He’s giving Washington energy on the glass, averaging 7.5 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per game, and his on-ball pressure has made him another useful piece.
Add in Bilal Coulibaly, who has gotten off to a slow start but remains a proven defender, and the Wizards suddenly have a group with real versatility. Coulibaly and George are 22, while Champagnie is 25, so there’s still room for the unit to keep improving.
That matters for a team that has already outperformed expectations. If Washington’s young defenders keep taking steps and the roster gets healthier, this group looks built to keep its floor high even before it reaches its full version.
In Other News...
Trae Youngs New Wizards Role Gets Tested In A Game That Matters
Washington has spent the early part of the season getting encouraging signs from its primary starters, with Anthony Davis and AJ Dybantsa both helping set a more stable tone. Now the spotlight shifts to Trae Young, whose arrival from Atlanta was supposed to bring a different kind of value to the roster. Rather than being asked to carry everything, he is expected to settle into a part-time playmaking mentor role, a different assignment for a player long used to being the engine.
The timing makes the matchup with the Hawks especially interesting, because it puts Young in a game that carries more weight than a typical early-season meeting. For the Wizards, it is a chance to see how his experience translates in a setting that matters, while also adjusting to the ripple effects of a roster that has changed around him. There is also a broader layer to the night with other familiar names in the mix, which only adds to the sense that this one has more history attached to it than most November games. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Title Hopes May Depend On Trae Young Making One Change
The Wizards long-term ceiling may come down to how Trae Young adapts alongside rookie AJ Dybantsa, and that starts with Young doing more damage away from the ball. Washington brought in a high-usage guard who has spent most of his career dictating every possession, but the fit the front office is chasing is different now, with Dybantsa emerging as a potential centerpiece and the team looking for a two-man game that can stress defenses in more than one way.
Dybantsa has already given the organization reason to believe the pairing can work, even in the early stages of his first NBA stretch. For Washington, the appeal is obvious: if Young can turn himself into a credible off-ball threat, it would open the floor for Dybantsas development and give the Wizards a cleaner path toward the kind of offensive balance that matters when the games get bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Davis Is Forcing A Huge Wizards Decision Already
Anthony Davis has given the Wizards exactly what they hoped for when they brought him in, and maybe a little more. Through seven games, he has looked like the kind of difference-maker who can tilt a nightly game plan, pairing efficient scoring with steady rebounding and defensive activity while also stretching the floor at a career-best clip from three-point range.
For Washington, the on-court fit is only part of the equation now. Davis has quickly become central to the teams improved start, but the front office still has not locked in a long-term extension, leaving the Wizards with a decision that cannot wait forever. His looming player option adds another layer of pressure, and the longer this goes without clarity, the more every strong performance seems to sharpen the question of what comes next. [Read more 🡒]