The Wizards’ season opener took a hit before the first tip even arrived. Brian Keefe said first overall pick AJ Dybantsa will not play Wednesday because of an ankle injury he picked up in the preseason finale against the New Orleans Pelicans. Keefe added that Dybantsa is day-to-day after that.
So now Washington has to answer the obvious question: who starts in his place?
The cleanest answer appears to be Bilal Coulibaly. He’s got the defensive edge, and that matters for a team looking to tighten things up on that end.
Coulibaly also just passed the extension deadline without a new deal, which puts him on track to be a restricted free agent next summer. That gives the coaching staff and front office a chance to get a better look at him in a bigger role.
Tre Johnson is the other strong option, and he brings a completely different look. His shooting and off-ball movement make him a natural fit if Washington wants to lean into spacing and firepower.
In the short time he’s shared the floor with Trae Young, Johnson has already shown the kind of connection that can tilt a game fast. If the Wizards decide the shot-making is too tempting to ignore, he’s the wild card here.
There’s also a case for Justin Champagnie if Washington wants to get creative. He’s shown he can help a team win, even if that hasn’t always worked in the Wizards’ favor when draft positioning was part of the equation.
The numbers have supported him, and he gives the team a little bit of everything: shooting, rim finishing, quick ball movement, and defense. He probably fits as a reserve, but the argument for him is real.
Bub Carrington is in the mix, though he doesn’t sound like the likely choice. Deandre Ayton could also enter the conversation, especially if Alex Sarr or Anthony Davis are available for the opener.
But the safest bet is Coulibaly. Washington values size and defense, and he checks both boxes more cleanly than Johnson. So the expectation here is Coulibaly in the starting lineup, with Johnson or Ayton first off the bench in the home opener.
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 🡒]