The Washington Wizards opened the regular season with a statement, taking down the Milwaukee Bucks 128-116 in a game that also landed in the franchise history books.
For much of the night, the story was built around Anthony Davis, who put together an MVP-level debut. He matched the Wizards franchise record for points in a debut with 34 and added 12 rebounds to go with four assists and two steals. Davis shot 11-of-20 from the field and gave Washington a forceful presence in the paint on the defensive end as well.
Anthony Davis in his Wizards debut:34 PTS12 REB4 AST2 STL11-20 FGJoins Moses Malone as the only Wizards in the last 50 seasons with 30/10 in a season opener. pic.twitter.com/pprXmXd4Bs
With so many capable passers around him, Davis looks positioned to pile up nights like this. The Wizards believe he can be the driving force behind another trip to the playoffs, and this debut made a loud first impression.
Bilal Coulibaly also delivered a strong performance after not receiving an extension. He looked sharp on both sides of the ball, scoring 11 points efficiently while knocking down a three-pointer.
He finished with four steals and two blocks, and his offense had more pop than it did a season ago. Coulibaly attacked off the dribble, finished well at the rim and moved the ball better than he did last year.
Bilal Coulibaly 11 PTS (4-6 FG, 1-3 3P), 2 REB, 1 AST, 4 STL, 2 BLK, 0 TO vs. BucksAbsolute defensive MENACE pic.twitter.com/znm0LIiJGY
Not everyone made the same kind of impact. Khris Middleton had a quiet night and never really asserted himself.
He barely looked like a factor, and the minutes could have gone to Will Riley instead. Middleton didn’t get up many shots, wasn’t especially effective defensively and didn’t do much as a facilitator.
For a veteran expected to provide more, it was a muted showing.
Even with the win, Washington left room on the table. The Wizards shot under 30 percent from three, and that kept the game from turning into a full runaway.
Trae Young, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson combined to go 1-of-14 from deep, which is a problem considering they’re supposed to be among the team’s better shooters from long range. Young and Johnson missed all of their attempts.
If the Wizards are going to keep winning and chase a playoff berth, that part of the offense has to clean up fast.
In Other News...
Wizards Opener Puts Early Rebuild Tension On Brian Keefe
The Wizards are finally getting to opening night, and with it comes the first real test of how their rebuild is supposed to look against a Bucks team that will waste no time exposing any loose edges. Washington has spent the preseason sorting through a young roster and an evolving rotation, with Tre Johnson and Bilal Coulibaly among the prospects trying to carve out minutes as Brian Keefe and his staff start turning evaluation into actual decisions.
There is already some early stress in the picture, though, because one of the young pieces the Wizards hoped to see is out after rolling his ankle in the preseason finale. Khris Middleton is expected to play, which helps stabilize the group on paper, but Keefe still has to figure out exactly where he fits and how much of the roster shuffle should be driven by development versus immediate competitiveness, the kind of balancing act that can define a season before it really gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Avoided A Roster Problem Fans Might Be Overlooking
The Wizards have spent enough time trying to sort out their long-term roster that fit matters almost as much as talent, and Jaylen Brown is the kind of player who can complicate that equation. He is a better pure scorer than Anthony Davis, but the bigger question for Washington is how a star would actually slot in alongside the pieces already in place, especially in a deal framework that would have forced the team to give up significant value to get him.
Brown's appeal is obvious, but the roster conversation gets trickier when the fit is considered in the broader backcourt and frontcourt picture. Washington is better served by a player who can anchor the defense and work cleanly in the half court, which is why Davis would have made more sense for the Wizards than Brown, even if the latter brings more natural scoring. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Have An Early Chance To Fix Two Problems Fast
The Washington Wizards head into the new season with a lot more optimism than they had a year ago, thanks to the arrivals of Trae Young, Anthony Davis and draft pick AJ Dybantsa. Even with that new talent, the preseason offered a reminder that good names do not automatically make a clean team, especially on offense, where the ball still tended to get away from them. There is at least a little room to settle in, because the opening stretch of the schedule gives Washington a chance to face some friendlier opponents while it keeps building chemistry.
The early games will also say plenty about whether the frontcourt gains the Wizards showed in preseason can carry over once the results start counting. If the offense can get organized and the defense can hold up against a softer run of competition, Washington could avoid digging itself an early hole. If not, the same issues that made last season such a grind could show up again before the schedule gets any kinder. [Read more 🡒]