The Wizards head into their November opener with a schedule that doesn’t leave much room to breathe, and the first test comes against an Orlando team missing some major pieces.
Washington is coming off its weekend break and now faces 15 games in the next 29 days, including three back-to-back sets. A chunk of that stretch runs through the Magic, with three divisional matchups against Orlando on the calendar. The first one arrives this week, and the Wizards will see the Magic without several key starters.
That matters because Washington has started 3-3 and, for once, has some early momentum to work with. The wins have shown flashes of what this group can be, but the team still hasn’t settled into a clear identity. Even with the injury advantage, nothing about this month looks simple.
Orlando has already ruled out guard Anthony Black for the next game because of left ankle injury management, leaving him alongside Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs on the sideline.
That makes Franz Wagner the obvious name to watch. If anyone is still clinging to the idea that he’s the Magic’s most valuable player, this is a good chance to see that case up close. Banchero usually grabs the spotlight when both forwards are healthy, thanks to his more aggressive scoring style, but Wagner has also shown he can carry the offense when needed.
He’s averaging 19.7 points and 7.8 assists per game, and he’s done it while dealing with a jumper that has steadily gone cold. Even so, his size and control as a driver have kept him dangerous in the lane.
Washington’s best answer may be Bilal Coulibaly. He already looks like the kind of defender who can spend time on Wagner, and the matchup has a familiar feel. Wagner attacks the rim with a handle suited to his frame, and Coulibaly’s length and quickness give him a chance to stay attached and bother the ball.
If Coulibaly gets beat, the Wizards still have help behind him. Alex Sarr’s knee-related absence opens the door for Anthony Davis on the back line, with Kyshawn George and AJ Dybantsa available as energetic wing options. With Orlando short-handed, Washington has a chance to throw a lot of different looks at the few creators at the top of the Magic’s rotation.
The rebounding battle is another place where the Wizards need to clean things up. They’ve been one of the league’s weakest offensive rebounding teams, sitting last with 8.7 offensive boards per game. That problem showed up in several of their rough October outings, and three combined games against the Raptors and Hornets didn’t help.
The fix is pretty straightforward: more aggression and better boxouts. Orlando’s own issues on the glass could make that easier for Washington this time around.
Justin Champagnie’s foot fracture last week didn’t help matters, either. His absence seems to have scrambled the Wizards’ rebounding rotation, even though the group wasn’t exactly thriving before he went down. Still, Davis and Deandre Ayton give Washington enough size to deal with Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze, and the team’s depth should keep it from needing to lean entirely on second-chance scoring.
Sarr’s absence also forces Washington to keep sorting out its frontcourt mix. The team is still trying to find the right balance between playmaking and finishing while protecting its defensive edge, and this injury opens another opportunity to experiment.
Coulibaly already filled in for Dybantsa during the week the rookie missed with a rolled ankle, and those minutes showed how useful he can be as both a scorer and a defender. But if he returns to the starting group with Dybantsa and George, that would move Davis to center. There’s also the possibility that Davis would rather stay at power forward to lighten his rebounding load.
Ayton remains in the conversation, too. He hasn’t made much noise in a reduced 14-minute-per-game role, but his presence around the basket could push Davis farther out if Sarr is no longer available to space the floor from the corner. That would come at the cost of some spacing, but it would give Washington another bigger lineup if the Wizards decide physicality is the better answer.
In Other News...
AJ Dybantsa Is Already Giving Wizards Fans Real Hope
AJ Dybantsas arrival has given Wizards fans a jolt of optimism that has been hard to come by in recent seasons. The No. 1 overall pick has wasted little time looking comfortable, fitting into the offense alongside Trae Young and showing the kind of two-way presence Washington hoped it was getting when it made him the centerpiece of the draft.
What stands out early is how complete his impact already looks. Dybantsa has been efficient with the ball, active on the glass and disruptive defensively, the sort of early return that can change the mood around a rebuilding team in a hurry. The bigger question now is how quickly that promise can turn into something more lasting once the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]
AJ Dybantsa Just Gave Wizards Fans Another Reason To Feel Good
The Wizards have opened the 2026-27 season with a 3-3 start, and there are already a few reasons for optimism beyond the standings. Rookie AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 overall pick, has settled in quickly after missing the first stretch with an ankle injury, giving Washington another young piece to pair with the veteran presence of Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Early on, the group has shown enough chemistry to suggest the fit could come together faster than expected.
AJ Dybantsa also gave fans a little extra to smile about off the court, adding a lighthearted moment to a season that already feels like it has some momentum. For a team still trying to define itself, those small signs matter almost as much as the on-court results, especially with Orlando next on the schedule and the Wizards looking to keep building on their encouraging start. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Sarr Is Emerging In A Wizards Trend That Actually Matters
Through the first six games, Washington has built an early identity that actually travels: perimeter defense. The Wizards have been the NBAs best team at guarding the three-point line so far, holding opponents to 28.7% shooting from beyond the arc, and that has shown up in the kind of disciplined closeouts and contests that can keep a young roster competitive even when the offense is still finding itself.
Alex Sarr has been a big part of that start, especially when teams try to test Washington above the break. He leads the Wizards in defending those attempts, and the broader picture is even more encouraging for a team trying to establish a defensive standard, with five Washington players showing up among the leagues top 15 in limiting opponents to under 30% on above-the-break threes with at least 100 attempts against them. The question now is whether that early edge can hold once scouting reports sharpen and the schedule starts asking more of it. [Read more 🡒]