The Washington Wizards kept the preseason rolling with a 114-108 win over the Detroit Pistons, and the scoreline only told part of the story. What stood out most was how quickly the group is starting to look like a functioning rotation, with the newly added veterans blending into the young core and giving the offense a faster, cleaner shape.
Trae Young was at the center of it early. He piled up eight first-half assists, but this was not a one-man show.
Washington’s pace came alive because the rest of the floor runners kept moving with him. Dybantsa and the bigs repeatedly raced into the open court, finishing Young’s passes with acrobatic, high-flying plays after missed shots.
The reigning No. 1 draft pick also flashed as a playmaker, turning face-up touches into quick-read dimes, while Tre Johnson gave the break another wrinkle with his willingness to fire away on spot-up looks.
That up-tempo identity appears to be exactly what head coach Brian Keefe has been chasing. Washington is already showing signs of turning stops into immediate offense, and Keefe kept leaning into combinations that fit that idea.
Johnson, Deandre Ayton, Bilal Coulibaly and Bub Carrington all got first-quarter run as reserve reinforcements, while Will Riley did not enter until the closing minutes of the half. Khris Middleton, who has not appeared in the preseason yet, stayed on the bench along with Justin Champagnie until the fourth quarter.
Keefe explained the approach this way: “We’re looking to see different combos, who plays well together. We’re going to see that the next couple of games, too…obviously, he had a great impact there in overtime.”
There was plenty for Washington to like, but the game also showed the edges that still need sanding down. Young looked smooth guiding the offense early, though the second quarter brought a rougher stretch and a reminder that his style can produce turnovers as well as highlight plays. He and Davis combined for 10 turnovers, and six Wizards finished with multiple giveaways.
Defense will keep hanging over the discussion, too. The Pistons made a point of hunting Young by involving him in action over and over, using a half-dozen screens per set for Duncan Robinson to run through. That gave Detroit chances to put pressure on Washington’s defense and force rotations, and it also highlighted the kind of issues that can show up when Young gets caught on picks.
That side of the ball will matter a lot for a team trying to move beyond last season’s last-ranked defense. Davis and Alex Sarr give Washington real help there as shot-blockers and switchable defenders, but the Wizards know those pieces can only cover so much if Young is getting targeted this often.
Even with those flaws, the broader picture from this preseason win was hard to miss: Washington’s depth is giving the team real options, the pace is real, and the rotation is starting to come into focus. Felix Okpara technically secured the victory, but the bigger takeaway was how often the Wizards were able to make their talent work together in transition and keep the pressure on.
In Other News...
Wizards Showed The Edge Fans Have Been Waiting To See
A preseason game at Capital One Arena took on a sharper edge than most exhibitions, with the Detroit Pistons and Wizards trading baskets in a physical, competitive first half. Even with roster changes on both sides, the game had a little more bite than the usual October tune-up, and several players from each team found the scoreboard in double figures as the pace stayed lively.
The most memorable moment came when tempers flared and bodies got tangled in an altercation that fit the tone of the night. For Washington, that kind of edge is part of what fans have been waiting to see, even if the full picture of how far that toughness can carry this group still has to unfold. [Read more 🡒]
AJ Dybantsa Is Giving The Wizards Offense A Different Look
AJ Dybantsa has given Washington a different kind of look in the preseason, and it starts with how quickly he can turn a defensive stop into offense. The rookie has shown real comfort handling the ball in space, making decisions on the move and finishing plays himself, which is exactly the sort of juice the Wizards have been trying to add after a season that featured too many empty possessions and too much slippage in transition.
What stands out is that Dybantsa is not just pushing the pace for the sake of speed. He has helped create cleaner early offense for Washington while also hinting at a way to cut down on turnovers, a combination that could matter as the roster tries to settle in around its new additions. Preseason is only a first read, but the early signs suggest the Wizards may have found a player who can change the flow of the game before the defense is even set. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Young Core Just Made The Roster Picture A Lot Tougher
The preseason keeps giving Washington a better look at its young core, and Saturdays visit to Detroit was another reminder that the rotation picture is getting crowded fast. In a game that went beyond regulation, the Wizards found more encouraging minutes from AJ Dybantsa, Justin Champagnie and Will Riley, the kind of performances that tend to matter most this time of year because they can change how a staff sorts out the back end of the roster.
There were also some rough edges worth filing away. Bub Carrington was uneven, and Bilal Coulibaly still needs to play with more aggression if he wants to turn promising stretches into something more dependable. For a team trying to sort out who fits where, the challenge is no longer just finding young talent. It is deciding which young players have done enough to keep forcing the issue. [Read more 🡒]