The Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets are heading into their preseason meeting with a lot more than a tune-up on the line - at least in terms of evaluation. These are two teams that were deep into tanking territory not long ago, and now they’re sharing a floor with a fresh wave of young talent and a few veterans trying to reset their value.
That backdrop is what makes this matchup worth watching. Between them, the Wizards and Nets have used 15 first-round picks over the last four drafts, and both teams are still carrying every recent selection except for Dariq Whitehead from Brooklyn’s 2023 class. It’s a lot of young talent packed into one game, and both sides are still figuring out which pieces fit where.
Brooklyn’s newest group is built around the five first-round picks it brought in during 2025, with Mikel Brown Jr. expected to take the spotlight before the preseason finale. Washington, meanwhile, is leaning into Tre Johnson and AJ Dybantsa, a pair of young prospects who are already becoming central to the Wizards’ early-season picture. The Nets couldn’t land either one when the lottery odds didn’t swing their way, and now they’ll get an up-close look at what they missed.
The veterans in the mix have their own pressure points, too. Washington’s core has been helped by Young and Davis, while Brooklyn’s top scoring veterans, Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle, are trying to rebuild their standing around a developing roster.
One of the clearest clues about Washington’s thinking came in last weekend’s 114-108 win over the Detroit Pistons. The Wizards used just nine rotation players for most of the first half, and Justin Champagnie was one of the notable names held back early. He didn’t get much run until the second half, once Washington had pulled its starters, but he made the most of it.
Champagnie finished with 12 points in 17 minutes and looked like one of the team’s steadiest two-way options among the deeper reserves. He hit two 3-pointers, grabbed important rebounds and added three steals, which fits the kind of relentless, do-everything profile he’s been building in Washington.
That kind of performance raises a real question for Brian Keefe’s staff: if Champagnie keeps offering more offense than someone like Bilal Coulibaly while holding up defensively, why wouldn’t he be in the regular reserve picture?
The bigger picture for Washington is that any more appearances from the expected starters before opening night would count as a surprise. Given the injury histories of the group - especially Davis - there’s no reason for the Wizards to push them harder than necessary if they already know what they have.
Dybantsa is the other major watch point. He’s still nowhere near a finished product in Washington, even if the flashes are obvious. Across two games, he’s shown the burst to finish in transition and the ability to score through contact around the rim, but he still has a lot to prove as the ball keeps finding its way into his hands.
His jumper remains part of the conversation, and so does his volume from deep. With more 3-point attempts, he could start to build rhythm, and that might be what unlocks the full range of his scoring game. Right now, the shot and the early preseason results haven’t fully matched the talent.
There’s also the question of what Dybantsa can do as a playmaker and as a wing defender. Young will handle the pace-setting at point guard, but Washington still needs stopping power on the perimeter, and the rookie has the athletic tools to matter there. He’s got plenty left to show before the season begins, and that makes this stretch - including the Nets game - worth tracking closely.
In Other News...
Anthony Davis Is Already Stirring Reactions Before His Wizards Debut
Anthony Davis has not played a minute for the Washington Wizards yet, but he is already giving the team a little extra buzz. The Chicago native and longtime Packers fan took to Instagram with a challenge tied to the Packers-Bears game, setting off the sort of social-media back-and-forth that only an NFC North rivalry can produce. Bears fans noticed, and the comments quickly turned into playful ribbing over the game and the familiar split loyalties that come with being from Chicago.
The exchange had a little more edge after Green Bay's win, with one Bears receiver stepping in to answer Davis directly and push the trash talk a step further. For Wizards fans, it is a reminder that Davis arrives with plenty of personality attached to his name, and his season opener on October 21 will come with a bit of added attention well before he ever settles into a Washington uniform. [Read more 🡒]
Felix Okpara Is Giving The Wizards A Frontcourt Decision To Make
The Wizards have spent the early part of the post-draft process introducing their newest rookies, and Felix Okpara has already given them something to think about. In limited preseason minutes, the young big man flashed the kind of athleticism and defensive activity that can make a team pay attention fast, and it showed up in a win over the Detroit Pistons as Washington continued sorting through a crowded frontcourt.
Okpara is still not viewed as an immediate rotation piece, which is no surprise on a roster with more established size ahead of him. Even so, he has looked like the sort of developmental addition who can make a case with every clean rebound, rim contest and extra possession, and the next step may be finding the right balance between patience and opportunity as he works his way through the G League. [Read more 🡒]
Bilal Coulibaly Suddenly Has Real Pressure In Wizards Rotation
Bilal Coulibaly is heading into a pivotal season with Washington, and the timing could hardly be less forgiving. The former lottery pick is in the final year of his rookie deal, which puts him on track for restricted free agency next offseason, and the Wizards are already showing they have more wing options to sort through than they did a year ago.
Preseason has only sharpened the pressure around his role. Teammates have stepped forward while Coulibaly has not found the same footing offensively, and Washingtons addition of Khris Middleton adds another veteran wing who can stretch the floor and absorb minutes. For a young player still trying to establish himself, the margin for error in this rotation may be shrinking fast. [Read more 🡒]