The Wizards didn’t have Anthony Davis against the Nets, and his absence changed the whole feel of Washington’s third preseason game. Davis, who had already flashed his scoring touch, defense and creation in the first two outings, was held out for rest as a precaution with the team in the middle of three games in five days, according to Brian Keefe.
Washington still had enough size and length on the floor to make this interesting, but Brooklyn walked out with a 131-122 win and exposed a few things the Wizards need to sort through now, not later. The biggest one is how the offense works when Davis, Alex Sarr and Deandre Ayton are all part of the same frontcourt conversation.
The Wizards have been clear about wanting to use Ayton alongside Davis and Sarr, leaning into rebounding, size and defense even if the spacing isn’t pretty. That idea comes with a cost.
When the bigs are clustered together and one of them is camping in the lane, the floor can get crowded in a hurry. Washington got a break when Davis hit a few shots from outside in his preseason debut, but that’s not a look the team can count on every night.
His career three-point rate is under 30%, and his value is much better served from the mid-post. Sarr, for his part, is still raw, and against Brooklyn he settled for too many shaky midrange looks and floating finishes.
If Washington wants those double-big lineups to work, the movement has to come from somewhere else. That means more cutting, more activity in pick-and-roll, and more willingness to pair pops with dives instead of relying on static five-out spacing or bigs standing in the corners. Brian Keefe can’t get through the season asking his frontcourt to do nothing but occupy space.
Defensively, the Nets found another problem area: transition. Washington’s identity through the first three preseason games has been tied to length, depth and physicality, but the commitment to stopping the ball and getting matched up hasn’t held steady.
Brooklyn took advantage by running the floor and making the Wizards pay for slow recoveries and loose assignments. The halfcourt defense had its issues too, but the transition breakdowns stood out more.
That matters even more when Davis isn’t available to clean things up. His rebounding and ability to erase mistakes are part of what makes this roster harder to score on, but the Wizards can’t lean on him as the answer every time he sits. They’re going to need more consistent effort from the wings and bigs, and more attention to detail from everyone.
Turnovers only made the problem worse. Washington’s desire to create offense from defense is fine in theory, but sloppy passing gives opponents extra chances to win the race the other way.
Cleaner offense would help the defense, too, since fewer mistakes would cut down on easy transition opportunities for the other team. Keefe has already made it clear that he wants early offense to start with stops.
The brightest development of the night came from Bilal Coulibaly. He put up 19 points and finally looked like the player Washington has been waiting to see after a preseason full of questions around his role and his extension timeline.
His jumper looked smoother, and the offseason buzz around that shot suddenly made sense. He knocked down a few important perimeter looks with the second unit, then followed that with hard cuts and stronger attacks at the rim.
Coulibaly has long been seen as a high-flying running mate for Trae Young because of his athleticism, but his minutes with reserve groups may be where he gets the freedom to show more creation. With Davis out, that extra responsibility matters. Right now, he looks ready for more touches and more opportunities, and the Wizards could use that kind of two-way spark.
In Other News...
Wizards Young Core Is Creating A Real Anthony Davis Trae Young Dilemma
The Wizards have spent the early part of this reset trying to make two timelines work at once. Anthony Davis and Trae Young give the franchise the kind of established star power it has lacked in recent seasons, but the preseason has also offered a look at why Washington is suddenly worth watching beyond the names at the top of the roster. AJ Dybantsa, Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr have all flashed enough development to suggest the next version of this team may not look the same for long.
That creates a tricky balancing act for Washington as it tries to climb back into relevance. Veterans can stabilize a team that has struggled, but the young core is pushing for real minutes, real touches and a bigger role in the offense sooner rather than later. The Wizards do not have to choose their long-term answer right away, but the way they sort out that hierarchy in the weeks ahead could shape whether this rebuild feels like a shortcut or a true handoff. [Read more 🡒]
Bilal Coulibaly Just Raised The Stakes For A Wizards Decision
Bilal Coulibalys preseason has turned into one of the more important subplots around the Wizards as the regular season nears. The rookie forward got off to a quiet start in camp, but his third preseason game offered a much better snapshot of why Washington values him, with a 19-point night that also included impact work on the defensive end.
Even with that progress, there is still a contract question hanging over the front office. The Wizards have until Monday, the day before the season opens, to sort out long-term deals with their draft prospects, and Coulibaly is among the names still waiting on a resolution. His recent step forward only makes the decision more interesting, because it adds another layer to what Washington has to weigh before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Roster Battle Is Making Brian Keefe's Biggest Decision Tougher
Washingtons preseason has opened with some encouraging signs, and a 2-1 start has given Brian Keefe a chance to see how a roster full of young talent and overlapping skills fits together. Trae Young, AJ Dybantsa and Kyshawn George have all flashed in the early going, but the bigger takeaway has been how many different lineups the Wizards can put on the floor while they sort out what actually works.
Keefe has made it clear the competition is still very much alive, with no starting group locked in as the staff keeps experimenting with combinations. Kyshawn George is part of that conversation, but so are Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, Will Riley, Bub Carrington and Tre Mann, and the depth is turning even simple rotation calls into meaningful evaluations. For a team trying to build something with so many young pieces, the challenge now is not finding enough options, but deciding which ones deserve the most runway. [Read more 🡒]