The Washington Wizards got the kind of opening-night result they haven’t been able to lean on in years, but the next test looks a lot more like the sort that exposes where a young team still has work to do.
After beating the Milwaukee Bucks 128-116 in their home opener, Washington heads into a matchup with the Toronto Raptors, who opened their season by pounding the Chicago Bulls 135-92. That sets up a very different kind of measuring stick for the Wizards, one that could bring their youth and lack of cohesion into sharper focus.
One major factor: the Wizards still won’t have the NBA Draft’s No. 1 pick, who is out again after rolling an ankle last week, according to head coach Brian Keefe. That absence opened the door for Bilal Coulibaly to get extended run alongside the team’s top playmakers, but it also leaves Washington thinner on the wing against a Toronto defense built to make life miserable for exactly that kind of group.
The Raptors bring plenty of length and disruption on the perimeter with Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles and Allen Graves all standing in the way of Washington’s wing rotation. That group includes Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, Khris Middleton and Justin Champagnie, a collection of scorers whose lack of seasoning could be a real issue if Toronto starts picking apart the edges.
Kyshawn George gave Washington plenty to like in the opener, finishing with 18 points, eight of them in the fourth quarter, along with five rebounds, three assists and two stocks on 8-for-14 shooting. Coulibaly also appears likely to start again, though there’s no promise he’ll see the same minutes he logged in the opener.
The Wizards may also have to be careful with their smaller offensive guards, since Trae Young, Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington could have a hard time dealing with Jamal Shead and the rest of Toronto’s defensive personnel. This one has the look of a game where Washington’s length and interior activity may matter as much as anything else.
Washington’s biggest recent trade addition showed exactly why the team made the move, erupting for 34 points in his first game with the Wizards behind strong finishes at the rim, thunderous dunks and a few crafty jumpers. But the concern around him has never been about his skill. It’s been about the wear and tear he absorbs, and whether his body can keep holding up game after game.
He’ll probably need more of the same against a better defense, but he may not get the same level of support he enjoyed against Milwaukee if Toronto does a better job of cutting off Washington’s younger scorers. How he handles the load as the lead scorer, rebounder, passer and defender will be watched closely.
Leonard gives Toronto another proven threat to center attention on. He’s coming off a contentious exit from the Los Angeles Clippers and has repeatedly given Washington trouble, scoring at least 27 points in four of his last five meetings with the Wizards. The lone Clippers-Wizards game to go back to Dec. 2022 was the only one in that stretch where he shot below 40% from the field.
He was quiet by his standards in his Raptors return, going 5-for-17 against Chicago, but he still came away with five stocks and four steals. Betting on another rough shooting night from Leonard is a dangerous plan, especially with a big scoring night from either side very much in play.
There’s enough firepower on both rosters to make this feel like a potential shootout, with Washington trying to stay unbeaten and Toronto already showing it can overwhelm a team in a hurry.
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For the Wizards, it is the kind of low-risk swing that fits the broader search for young talent with room to grow. There is no official deal yet, and the market around Knecht could move quickly once teams sort through their two-way spots, but the fact that Washington is even in the conversation says something about how a fresh start might appeal to both sides. [Read more 🡒]
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Bub Carrington Already Gives The Wizards Something They Clearly Need
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Carringtons value is tied less to force at the rim than to what he can do from deeper areas, and that part of his game is supposed to help the Wizards right away. He shot 40.8 percent from three-point range last season, and even with some questions about his finishing inside the paint, that kind of shooting gives Washington another piece it can build around as it looks for cleaner possessions and more reliable scoring options. [Read more 🡒]