Weekly Wiz

Written by: Eric Meyer

Published: October 28, 2025

This Week’s Results (overall record):

October 22, 2025: Wizards 120, Bucks 133 (0-1)

October 24, 2025: Wizards 117, Bucks 107 (1-1)

October 26, 2025: Hornets 139, Wizards 113 (1-2)

The Wizards started their season off with a mixed bag, getting handled by the Bucks and Hornets but picking up a surprise victory in Dallas. Here are some takeaways:

Kyshawn George is Becoming a Problem

George was the star of the show in the Wizards’ road victory in Dallas, showcasing his versatility as a scorer, playmaker, rebounder, and defender. Kyshawn was especially effective using his size to attack smaller guards like Cole Anthony, and his improved handle has made him into a viable playmaker running PNR sets. Geroge also flourished in transition, both running the floor and leading the break. He’s earning credibility as a “Swiss army knife” player, filling any role the Wizards need depending on the other four guys on the floor.

The one area of improvement for Kyshawn is managing fouls. George averaged five fouls in the first three games, which is quite a few considering they kick you out after six. George got into early foul trouble against Charlotte and it affected his rhythm for the rest of the game. He was less aggressive pursuing rebounds and his on-ball defense suffered, but when he ratcheted the effort level back up, he quickly fouled out.  Still, George's play garnered national attention, which is new territory for this team outside of the Poole and Kuzma weekly clown show. Fortunately, the circus has left town and Kyshawn will have every opportunity to showcase his abilities.

Washington’s Lack of Point of Attack Defense was Crippling

The Wizards struggled to keep ball-handlers out of the paint. Kevin Porter, Colin Sexton, and especially LaMelo Ball absolutely worked the Wizards’ guards, driving to the basket at will and getting great looks for teammates on the perimeter. The Wizards’ lack of lateral quickness and poor screen navigation turned their defense into a feeding frenzy for Milwaukee and Charlotte, and was the driving force for those losses.

It’s hard to single out any one player because every guard on this team struggled to contain any drives. The return of Bilal Coulibaly should improve the Wiz’s POA defense in the future, but the Wizards need better defensive effort from their guards, especially the younger guys like Bub Carrington and Cam Whitmore, who are trying to carve out roles as part of this team’s future.

Tre Johnson is as Advertised

One of the most exciting parts of a new season is getting to see your first round pick get his first minutes, and Tre Johnson has provided plenty of positives in his young career. Johnson was drafted with a reputation as a sharpshooter, and he’s lived up to that through three games, knocking down 43% of his attempts from long range and averaging 16.3 points per game.

Johnson has also shown some early promise in other areas. He has an ability to get to his spots on the floor for short pull-ups, adding another wrinkle to the Wizards’ offense. I’ve also been pleasantly surprised with his on-ball defense. Tre had multiple possessions where he forced his man to the baseline and showed some quick hands to earn deflections and neutralize those attacks. The defensive end was viewed as a work-in-progress for Tre, but he’s showing that he has the tools to be effective on that side of the floor as well.

As with any 19-year-old rookie, Johnson has some areas to improve as well. His handle is a little loose right now and will need to improve if he wants to attack the basket more, and the one area where he’s struggled is shooting on the move, but that could be a product of sample size. Still, Tre is off to a great start for the Wiz and I can’t wait to watch his game grow.

Bub Carrington Rides the Struggle Bus

Wizards fans were high on the Bub Carrington pick from last year’s draft, and the team is hoping he will take a leap in his sophomore campaign. Unfortunately, Bub didn’t have a great first week, struggling to get his offensive game going.

It wasn’t all bleak for Bub. He went 4-6 from three and hit a clutch shot against the Mavericks to help put the game away. But outside of that, it was a tough go. Carrington’s struggles as a playmaker from his rookie year were a concern for the Wizards, and Bub showed some of the same issues this week.

To his credit, Carrington is a willing passer and typically makes the right play when the defense is in rotation. He has also shown ability to deliver timely feeds out of PNR sets. He was able to hit Alex Sarr on a couple of nice rolls for easy buckets when running these plays.

When Bub drove in isolation, however, he got tunnel vision and opted to force tough shots at the basket rather than find an open teammate. This is a learning area for a lot of young players, but it’s one he’ll need to improve on if he wants to be this team’s point guard of the future. I’m hoping for a bounce-back week for him as he finds his rhythm.

Alex Sarr is Becoming a True Big

I would be remiss if I did a recap of the Wizards’ first week without discussing Alex Sarr’s improvements. Sarr had a rough first matchup, having to contain Giannis for big chunks of the game. He held up respectably early in the 3rd quarter, stopping Giannis on four of five drives. That defense helped the Wizards get back into the game, but eventually, Antetokounmpo proved to be overwhelming. It happens to everyone.

When Sarr wasn’t trying to defend Greek Freaks, he was excellent. He held his own against Anthony Davis in Dallas and got the better of him several times.

Alex was also effective at altering shots at the rim from driving guards, and has been an excellent rebounder in his limited minutes as he plays his way back from his offseason calf injury.

Offensively, you can see how added strength has improved Sarr’s confidence in operating in the paint. He has been much more aggressive in seeking out post-ups and diving to the hoop on pick-n-roll. This newfound presence has been rewarded by Khris Middleton several times in the young season, as the veteran has developed some early chemistry with the second-year Frenchmen.

Sarr’s minutes will likely increase soon and we’ll see what he can do when fully unleashed, but the Wizards should feel great about how their young center is developing. He definitely looks like he’ll be a key member of the young core that the Wiz are hoping to build.

Up Next

The Wizards will play four games before next week’s Wiz drops. They’ll host Phlly tonight, travel to Oklahoma City on Thursday, come back home to play the Magic on Saturday, and then head up to MSG to face the Knicks next Monday night. It should be an eventful week, and I’ll have plenty to talk about.

See ya next Tuesday.