Washington Wizards start the season 1-2 (10-28-25)
By: Jaden Golding
Headline Photo Credit: NBA
The Washington Wizards have played through their first three games of the 2025-26 NBA regular season, carrying a record of 1-2.
The first three games went as follows….
I. At. Milwaukee Bucks (Loss: 133-120) Wed, Oct 22
II. At. Dallas Mavericks (Win: 117-107) Fri, Oct 24
III. Vs. Charlotte Hornets (Loss: 139-113) Sun, Oct 26
Through the three games, I’ve made key observations for this young Wizards squad so far….
● Kyshawn George: George had two great showings in the first two games on the road: against Milwaukee (21 points, nine rebounds, four assists, one steal, & two blocks) and against Dallas (career-high 34 points, 11 rebound double-double on 11-of-15 shooting from the field, 7-of-9 from three, adding four assists, two steals & three blocks). George has been the most impressive player from last year’s draft class, displaying the ability to operate as a complete point forward to spot up and shoot, drive to the hole, find his teammates, and bring a tough defense-first mentality.
● Defense: Two of the three contests have not displayed the best defensive performances this team seeks. In both losses, the opposing teams shot over 50% from the field, at least 40% from three, and scored 60 points in the paint. That is not a recipe for winning games. Against the Bucks, the Wizards allowed 72 first-half points, and Sunday against the Hornets, they surrendered 88 points in the second half. The absence of Bilal Couilably is apparent as he provides length and size on the perimeter, as well as his assignments of guarding the best opposing players. Washington has to string together more stops, communicate better, and help out Alex Sarr with the interior resistance.
● Brian Keefe: Washington head coach Brian Keefe has messed around with his rotations a lot this season. The starting five rolled out has been:
PG: Bub Carrington
SG: CJ McCollum
SF: Kyshawn George
PF: Khris Middleton
C: Alex Sarr
It will be interesting to see who will exit the lineup when Couilabily returns from injury. However, rookie Tre Johnson, Cam Whitmore, and Corey Kispert are featured off the bench first. Johnson has displayed his dynamic scoring ability and carries averages of 17 ppg, on .474 FG% and .429 3PT%. Tristan Vukcevic and Marvin Bagley have split time as the big men backing up Sarr, and both have displayed positive play in the past two games. Rookie Will Riley and veteran Justin Champagnie have cracked the rotation at a limited capacity.
Keefe did a good job of adjusting at halftime against the Bucks to help put his team in a position to cut a 22-point deficit to a single-digit game at multiple points in the second half. Against Dallas, after the first quarter, Washington increased its energy on the defensive end, forcing turnovers and rotating well, which led to easy baskets on the offensive end, helping in their comeback upset victory. Based on the momentum of games or runs, Keefe will need to be better when rotating players. While also enlisting his team to change up their approaches at points in the game, yesterday against the Hornets, Sarr should’ve seen more time in the second half to combat better that huge run by Charlotte in the third, which saw them break down Washington’s defense mainly inside the paint. CJ McCollum should’ve scaled back his shot attempts in that half, despite his good outing yesterday, trying to involve the likes of George, Middleton, Johnson, and Sarr a little more. Creating easier looks and alternating the shot creation looks that the team drew up.
Fans should not overreact to these first three games. The team is still figuring out what type of team it will be in this second year of the rebuild in D.C. Veterans McCollum and Middleton will help the young players adjust and figure out how to close out games. Bub Carrington will be fine despite the start in 2025; he needs to slow down a bit and try to think ahead of the defense. He has the skills to create his own look in the mid-range game, from three-point range, and find open teammates. But Carrington has to find consistency as the point guard. Sarr looks to be an improved finisher in the paint and has practiced his shooting stroke. The expectations should still be tempered by the fact that the team is not yet fighting for a play-in or playoff spot; they have a ways to go.
Next:
Washington hosts the Philadelphia 76ers from Capital One Arena on Tuesday at 7 p.m..
