Former Rutgers star Ace Bailey tried to steer his path into the NBA by making his preferred destinations clear to league executives. Despite being the third-rated prospect for many draft pundits, Bailey preferred to go sixth overall to the Washington Wizards.

Bailey refused workouts with teams, canceling a session with the Philadelphia 76ers, who had the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. He also didn’t want to land fourth to the Charlotte Hornets or fifth with the Utah Jazz. Yet, he did have a private workout with the Wizards in Atlanta before the draft, according to Wizards insider Troy Haliburton.

As the 76ers and Hornets passed on Bailey, it appeared things were going according to plan. However, the Jazz, despite knowing Bailey’s desire, selected him a pick before Washington. Fans on social media made assumptions about Bailey’s body language and reaction to Utah’s selection.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Wizards considered trading up to acquire Bailey, a 6-foot-8 wing with a 7-foot wingspan. Washington could’ve moved up to fourth. However, the Hornets ultimately decided against a trade. Charlotte selected Duke wing Kon Knueppel with the fourth pick. The Hornets feared that by trading with the Wizards, the Jazz would have chosen Knueppel with their No. 5 pick.

Instead, Bailey and the Wizards were left hoping he slipped out of the top five.

Trying to call your shot as an incoming rookie is a tricky endeavor. The perception is that Bailey’s approach is an entitlement. Some fans, executives, and media may not understand. However, someone in Bailey’s position has the right to steer their ship.

76ers forward Paul George sounded off against Bailey for skipping his team’s workout.

“You’re not in a position to be making all these demands. Make it to the league first. His way of going about it is just not right.”

Fit, culture, coaching staff, and overall organizational structure all play a role in a player’s development. George should know that. Bailey didn’t care about his draft stock dropping. Whatever the reasons, Bailey and his camp didn’t like Philadelphia, Charlotte, and Utah.

Alex Sarr successfully balked his way to the Wizards last year

Washington has become an intriguing destination for young players. The Wizards’ current front office has emphasized a rebuild around young talent. Last year, Alex Sarr was the top overall prospect, yet his preferred destination was the Wizards, who held the No. 2 overall pick.

Sarr didn’t want to go first overall to the Atlanta Hawks, and the Hawks obliged, passing on him and allowing him to land with the Wizards.

The Wizards are becoming a preferred destination for young players. President of Basketball Operations Michael Winger and General Manager Will Dawkins lead the Wizards front office. Washington has a young core that includes Sarr as well as Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, and AJ Johnson. The team has added veterans by trading for Marcus Smart, Khris Middleton, and, more recently, CJ McCollum.

The Wizards’ build has resembled that of the Oklahoma City Thunder, whom both Winger and Dawkins worked for under the guidance of famed GM Sam Presti. Adding Bailey would have only amplified the perception.

Will Ace Bailey embrace the Utah Jazz?

Now, Ace Bailey must make the best of his opportunity in Utah.

“I can control what I can control,” Bailey said after being picked by the Jazz. “They feel how they feel. But my team and me, focusing on basketball and them doing what they’re doing, so it happens.”

Bailey added he had “no idea” the Jazz were interested in him. By the sounds of things, Bailey wasn’t interested in the Jazz. Utah plans to keep the pick. They’re embarking on a rebuild of their own. While they may not have the eye-candy pieces that the Wizards have, Bailey should have an ultimate green light there.

Bailey will have the opportunity to be coached and developed by Will Hardy’s staff, which includes assistant Steve Wojciechowski.

Still, there are additional factors to consider regarding how Bailey handled the draft process. Again, he now has to make the best of the situation.

The Wizards got a good consolation prize for missing out on Bailey, selecting Texas guard Tre Johnson with the sixth pick overall. Johnson led the SEC in scoring as a freshman with 19.9 points per game.

Wizards fans will be comparing Bailey and Johnson for years to come. Meanwhile, the relationship between Bailey and the Jazz organization, as well as its fans, will be intriguing to watch.

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The Washington Wizards have already been eliminated from playoff contention, and their 16-58 record is the second-worst in the NBA. Yet, Washington has one of the brightest futures of any team in the league. The feeling is because the Wizards have a young, developing core predicated on five first-round picks over the past two years.

The Wizards also have high odds of landing a top-3 pick in this summer’s NBA Draft and a plethora of draft picks acquired in its most recent fire sale of low-performing veterans. Meanwhile, two veterans acquired in recent trades are tasked with guiding the young core.

One of those veterans, Khris Middleton, sees the seeds in place for making the Wizards a playoff team sooner. Middleton, who has a $34 million player option for the 2025-26 season, believes if he returns, the Wizards could be a playoff team next season.

“I think this team could definitely be a playoff team,” Middleton told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “I think if you give us a full offseason and give us a full season together, with the improvement of the young core, it will be huge — I think they can take a big step because of the way they work., how talented they are, and how smart they are.”

Wizards building solid foundation towards competing

The Wizards have built their core under the front office of President of Basketball Operations Michael Winger and General Manager Will Dawkins. In 2023, Washington drafted Bilal Coulibaly in the first round following a draft trade with Indiana. They then landed No. 2 overall picks Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George in the first round of the 2024 draft.

In February, Washington acquired 2024 first-round pick A.J. Johnson from the Milwaukee Bucks and Middleton in a trade for Kyle Kuzma.

Sarr is second in scoring among rookies with 13.1 points per game. He also averages 6.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks in 59 games. Carrington is second among rookies with 4.1 assists. He is also averaging 9.1 points and 4.0 rebounds. George is averaging 8.6 points and 4.3 rebounds. George is the fastest Wizards player to make 100 three-pointers.

Meanwhile, Coulibaly averaged 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in year two — all surrounding leading-scorer Jordan Poole, who Washington acquired in 2023 from the Golden State Warriors.

The Wizards have had their ups and downs this season. They swept the season series with the Denver Nuggets. Yet, they surrendered 162 points to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night. Through the growing pains, the team’s potential is glaring.

With a top-3 pick likely on the way, they’ll add the likes of Cooper Flag, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, or Derik Queen to a blossoming core.

Middleton spent 12 seasons with the Bucks, winning an NBA championship in 2021. Poole was an integral part of the Warriors’ 2022 NBA championship. Mixed all together, the Wizards indeed will be looking to compete for a playoff spot in 2025-26.

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Don’t look any further. Since the post-trade deadline, the Washington Wizards have gained some traction behind Jordan Poole, Khris Middleton, and three budding rookies. On Saturday, the Wizards emphatically completed their two-game sweep of the Denver Nuggets.

After trading buckets on four straight possessions, Poole drained the go-ahead three from 35 feet out with 2.1 seconds remaining off an inbound pass as the Wizards defeated the Nuggets 126-123 in Denver.

Washington has won four of its last six games and is 6-4 in their previous ten.

Alex Sarr stood tall against Nikola Jokic in final moments

No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr went toe-to-toe with three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Jokic had 40 points on 16-of-30 shooting, 13 rebounds, and nine assists. Sarr countered with 34 points on 12-of-28 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three, six rebounds and five assists.

Sarr has come a long way from the overreaction of his Summer League play. He second among rookies with 12.3 points per game; fourth with 6.7 rebounds; and sixth with 2.3 assists.

Jokic’s final bucket gave the Nuggets a 116-113 with 2:36 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, Sarr answered with a three to tie the game. Sarr made free throws to give Washington a 118-116.

Michael Porter Jr. answered on the ensuing Nuggets’ possession with a three off a Jokic assist. Poole got the Wizards back on top with a floater with 44.1 seconds left. Former Wizards guard Russell Westbrook got Denver back in the lead with a layup before rookie Kyshawn George answered with a three to give Washington a 123-121 lead with ten seconds on the clock.

Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray tied the game at 123-123 with a step-back jumper. Then, following a timeout, the Wizards dialed up Poole, who wasted no time firing the deep three just ahead of the Nuggets logo. Poole immediately went into his drowning celebration, stunning the Ball Arena crowd.

Wizards young core adding building blocks

All five Wizards’ starters finished in double-digit scoring. Jordan Poole finished with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three and six assists. Kyshawn George added 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. George also made 4-of-8 treys. Middleton had 10 points, four rebounds and four assists. Justin Champagnie added 16 points and matched Jokic with 13 rebounds.

Washington’s third first-round pick, Bub Carrington, had nine points, seven assists, and four rebounds off the bench. Rookie AJ Johnson, who the Wizards acquired in the Middleton trade, had nine points and four assists.

Washington defeated Denver on Dec. 7, 122-113. At the time, the Wizards had a record of 3- 18. While the Wizards are still rebuilding with a 15-51 record, the team has won six games over ten. The Wizards no longer have the worst record in the NBA. They’re one-half game better than the 15-52 Utah Jazz.

The worst three records will have the same odds of 14.0% for the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA lottery. Washington is building toward a winning culture while developing its four rookies and 2023 first-round Bilal Coulibaly. Finishing the season strong on a good note may be more important than landing Cooper Flagg in 2025.

Seeing the young core thrive with Poole and Middleton, two NBA champions, increases hope for Washington’s future. Sweeping Jokic and the Nuggets is a huge building block.

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The Washington Wizards take their fifth straight loss, in a 107-92 heart breaker to the Houston Rockets.

The Wizards were heavily out-rebounded in the loss. And failed to cover the premititor and get back on defense in transition. Offensively the team was decent overall, as the entire starting five scored double figures.

Kyle Kuzma finally enters the starting lineup, after dealing with a groin injury he suffered against the Atlanta Hawks. And in his first game back he scored 18 points, on seven of 18 shooting

With the loss there are still some positive and important factors from the game.

Alex Sarr struggled offensively and defensively

This year’s No. 2 overall pick, Alexandre Sarr, has had his fair share of struggles on the offensive end. However, against the Rockets, he also struggled defensively.

The rookie allowed 14 points. Houston’s center Alperen Sengun scored a game-high 27 points. The Turkish star’s strength and savviness caused trouble for Sarr throughout the night. Sengun outrebounded Sarr 17-6. Sengun has developed into a marquee post-player. Sarr is just a 19-year rookie. Playing against a force like Sengun will help Sarr earn his stripes.

Sarr finished with a pedestrian five points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field. He added two blocks.

Sarr’s jump shot remains inconsistent. He shot 0-of-3 from three. Sarr is shooting 18.6% from three. Teams are leaving him wide-open on those shots. The more he misses, the more defenders will sag off him to clog the paint. Posting up in the paint against fellow bigs is a hurdle for Sarr to overcome.

Sarr expects to have growing pains. His potential is glaring, but he must become more consistent and find rhythm throughout the season.

Bub Carrington showing flashes at point guard

Surprisingly, rookie guard Bub Carrington was available despite right knee soreness from the previous game against the Orlando Magic.

Carrington started hot, missing just one of four shots in the first half. He tapered off in the second half and finished with 10 points, six assists and two steals.

His ability to move the ball has been showing lately. He has averaged 6.4 assists in the last five games.

He is seemingly the point of the future. The absence of veteran point guard Malcolm Brogdon (hand) has allowed Carrington more playing time. Carrington has flashed early on. Hopefully, he can keep it going and become more consistent.

Wizards marred by second-chance points and bad rotation

Securing rebounds is a must in basketball. However, the Wizards struggled to accomplish the goal against the Rockets. Washington had a minus-24 margin in rebounds. The Rockets scored 19 second-chance points with 17 offensive rebounds.

Houston presented a challenge, as the Rockets lead the league in offensive rebounds per game. However, the Wizards rank last in opponents’ offensive rebounds per game. Washington has allowed 28 offensive rebounds and 48 second-chance points in the last two games.

Rotating on defense to compete on the glass was an issue. Sarr oftentimes challenged shots outside the paint, and no Wizards player rotated to the paint for rebounds.

The Wizards also didn’t rotate to match the Rockets’ ball movement. Late rotation has been a problem for the Wizards on the defensive end all season. Opponents have consistently created open shots.

The Wizards next contest is on the road against the San Antonio Spurs. Washington will look to snap a five-game losing streak before playing in the NBA Commissioner Cup.

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The rift between Jordan Poole and Draymond Green is well-documented. Thus, when the former Golden State Warriors teammates took the court against each other on Monday, all eyes were on their interactions. The contest between the two didn’t disappoint.

Poole, now in his second year with the Washington Wizards, finished the night with 24 points on 8-of-20 shooting, four blocks, three assists and three rebounds. Meanwhile, Green had 18 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three. He also added eight rebounds and five assists and got the 125-112 win for the Warriors.

However, the interaction between Poole and Green paints a story of their continued beef.

Jordan Poole gets physical with Draymond Green

Poole matched defensively on Green on the low block in the first quarter. Green tried to create some separation, swinging his elbows. Poole alertly evaded the swinging elbows but was called for a reach-in foul. The two tapped each other on the chest after the whistle.

Poole ended the Warriors’ possession by jumping a Green pass for a steal into a wide-open dunk in transition.

Poole and Draymond trade taunts

The two kept interacting throughout the game. The highlight was a sequence between the two at the end of the second quarter. Poole knocked down one of his two made three-pointers over Green. Then the Wizards guard pointed right at his teammate-turned-nemesis. However, the Warriors marched the basketball right down the court into a corner three from two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry over Poole before the buzzer for halftime. Green returned the favor by pointing at Poole ahead of a timeout.

Poole played four seasons with the Warriors, winning the 2021-22 NBA championship alongside Green, Curry, and Klay Thompson. Yet, his stay in Golden State got disrupted when Green violently punched Poole during a preseason practice before the 2022-23 season.

The friendship turned into a rivalry. Ultimately, Poole got traded to the Wizards the following offseason.

Poole didn’t want teammate talking to Draymond

There has been plenty of back-and-forth banter over the rift. Monday was a rare instance of the two being on the court with each other since the trade.

At one point during Monday’s game, Jordan Poole walked over and pulled Wizards rookie Bub Carrington away from Draymond Green as they were talking.

After the Warriors’ win, Green commended Poole for his improved play with Washington.

“He’s playing a lot better. As a competitor, you just want to show everything you got, and I think last year he was pressing a lot. He just wanted it to happen so bad, and this year, he’s a lot more settled in. He’s not taking the shots he was taking last year. They were bad shots. I think it was a matter of wanting it so bad to prove to people that ‘I can have my own team, I can come here and be successful,’ that it ends up working against you. … That speaks to the patience he’s now playing with. I think he’s doing a good job of settling down and letting the play come to him.”

Green is a four-time NBA champion and one of the greatest defenders in league history. Meanwhile, Poole is striving to make his mark, breaking out of the Warriors’ shadow. Now adversaries, both Draymond Green and Jordan Poole cannot separate from that practice two years ago.

The two are slated to see each other on the court again Jan. 18 in San Francisco.

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The Washington Wizards collected their first win of the season, in a close 121-119 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

The Wizards overcame a 61-54 halftime deficit. Washington stepped up defensively in the second half, making 13 threes after halftime to prevail.

The contest swung back and forth, but Jordan Poole drained a three to put Washington in a comfortable spot with 51 seconds. Poole made more than four three-pointers for the third straight game as the team tied a franchise record with 21 made three-pointers.

The game also featured the top two picks in this year’s NBA Draft between Zacharrie Risacher of the Hawks and Alexandre Sarr of the Wizards. Washington also adjusted the lineup, moving rookie Bub Carrington to the bench. Poole shifted to point guard, Sarr to power forward, and plugged veteran Jonas Valanciunas at center.

Here are five promising takeaways from the Wizards’ first win of the season.

Sarr wins the rookie matchup

There was excitement about No. 1 and No. 2 overall draft picks playing each other for the first time in their careers. Sarr played the best out of the two. 

The No. 2 overall pick finished with seven points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field, nine rebounds, and three blocks for the Wizards. Meanwhile, Risacher closed the game with four points on 1-of-8 shooting, three rebounds, and two steals.

Sarr’s first point of the game occurred with a two-hand dunk on Hawks All-Star Trae Young. The score was his only point in the first quarter. Sarr and Risacher matched up in the second quarter

Sarr comes out the gates fast, with an easy two-hand flush on Trae Young’s post-up. That was the only score for the two Frenchmen in the first quarter. Risacher failed to score going zero-for-three, and Sarr made one out of three of his attempts.

During the second quarter, both went at it for the first time. When Risacher tried to post up Poole, Sarr was there to help. Risacher tried to put it over his draft classmate but missed the layup due to a strong contest from Sarr.

On the ensuing Wizards possession, he got the ball in the high post being guarded by Risacher. Sarr spun off Risacher and cashed in a fadeaway mid-range.

Sarr had another stellar start in the opening of the second half. After cashing in a pick-and-pop three he got it done on the defensive end. Forcing three dead trips for the Hawks. 

He made Clint Capela extend his arm for an offensive foul, blocked a Jalen Johnson layup attempt, and made Capela pick up travel in the paint.

Despite struggling offensively, only shooting 27 percent from the field, he was very active defensively. Sarr is the clear best defender of this rookie class, averaging three blocks per game.

Bilal holds Trae Young to 2/15 shooting

Last year’s first-round pick, Bilal Coulibaly, scored 17 points in the win over Atlanta. However, his defense was the talk of the game. The second-year pro helped contain Trae Young to 14 points on 2-of-15 shooting.

Individually, Coulibaly starred defensively. Young was 0-of-7 from the field, including 0-of-4 from three when guarded by Coulibaly. He also had five turnovers against Coulibaly, and his only two points in the scenario occurred at the free-throw line.

Young never caught rhythm offensively.

On Atlanta’s final possession, Young brought the ball up the court. Coulibaly picked him up full court. Young tried to step back on the young Frenchman but had to pick up his dribble. With the time running down, Young had no choice but to hoist a difficult shot that hit the backboard.

Kuzma finally arrived to the 2024-25 season

After concerns over his struggles in the first two games, Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma had his best game of the season to date. Kuzma scored 20 of 25 points in the second half, shooting 8-of-20 from the field, including 5-of-9 from three.

Kuzma also added 11 rebounds and seven assists in 40 minutes. He steered the ship after the Hawks went on a 13-0 run early in the first quarter. Kuzma got to the free-throw line, making both attempts. Then he scored from the field and got an assist that closed Washington’s gap to 17-15.

He overpowered the Hawks’ defense early on. Still, Kuzma had struggles in the first half, turning over the ball four times. Despite the early run, he shot just 2-of-8 from the field.

Kuzma flipped a switch in the second half. After a layup off a dime from Jordan Poole, Kuzma got hot, draining three three-pointers during 59 seconds on consecutive possessions.

Unfortunately, his day would end early. Kuzma walked off the court to the locker room in the last two minutes. Kuzma felt something in his leg prompting him to leave the game, per Wizards head coach Brian Keefe.

Poole capped another great shooting night with dagger three

Poole had a great night from behind the arch. He rained six threes. His last one came from a step back for a dagger three.

Poole started hot again, making his first two threes en route to 10 points in the first quarter. He continued his success in the second quarter, making three treys in the final 1:53 of the first half. He showed some of that showmanship, drilling a three without follow-through.

Poole helped close out the Wizards’ win. He dissected Risacher in a one-on-one matchup, putting the No. 1 overall pick on an island before drilling a 26-foot step-back three that extended Washington’s lead to six with 51 seconds.

Poole is getting his confidence back from his Golden State Warriors time. He leads the team in scoring and finding the bottom of the net when Washington needs him.

Bub Carrington looks more comfortable coming off the bench

Bub Carrington had the best game of his rookie season thus far. He had a career-high 13 points off the bench, making 4-of-5 shots from the field.

Carrington started the first two games and struggled to get his footing, playing primarily alongside Poole. He came off the bench and made an immediate impact against the Hawks. He drew a foul, making two free throws. Then he knocked down a pull-up three after a hezi move.

Then, he dropped a dime to forward Marvin Bagley. Carrington then made another three, coming off a screen from Corey Kispert. He made a third three in the second off a feed from Poole.

Carrington still has a ways to go to be trusted with the ball in his hands at point guard. However, against the Hawks, it appeared Carrington slowed the game down in his head.

The Wizards is in a rebuild. While development is the primarily focus, Washington had promising keys that glared in its first win of the season.

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The Washington Wizards opened their season with a 122-102 loss against the defending champions Boston Celtics.

Jordan Poole had a great opening night, finishing with 26 points and four assists. He also tied his career high with four steals and shot 9-of-17 in the contest.

The Wizards missed their veteran point guard, Malcolm Brogdon, who is still out due to a hand injury he suffered before the preseason. First-round pick Bub Carrington started at point guard instead of Jordan Poole. Poole played point guard at the start of the preseason, but today, he slid to the two-spot.

Number two overall pick Alexandre Sarr started at center. With Kyle Kuzma at power forward and last year’s first-round pick Bilal Coulibaly the starting lineup was the youngest in the Washington Wizards’ franchise history, at an average age of 22 and six months.

In the first half, the Wizards looked like they could stick with the Celtics, only trailing by 10. But in the second half, everything came crashing down on the defensive end for the Wizards, and the Celtics had their way of scoring the ball.

Going up against the reigning NBA champions, the Wizards still showed some positives from the loss. And here are four takeaways from the loss.

Poole fit comfortably at shooting guard

Jordan Poole came out firing in the first quarter, as the guard scored 17 of the Wizards 32 points in the quarter. He made five three-pointers and scored on a coast-to-coast layup in transition. He played just as well on the defensive end with two steals.

He finished with 26 points, making 6-of-11 from three. Poole looked improved defensively on and off the ball, racking up four steals that tied his career high.

Poole can initiate the offense as a point guard, but he looked more comfortable with a green light scoring. That first quarter was reminiscent of his days with the Golden State Warriors. Hopefully, he continues to be a threat, scoring the ball and opening up his teammates.

The ball movement on offense improved significantly

On offense the Wizards have moved the ball a lot, and found a lot of open looks in the paint. In the second quarter they came out a time out and went on a 15-8 run. Scoring the majority of their points from excellent ball movement, and finishes in the paint.

In transition they got the ball out very quickly, to get a lot of good open shots.

Despite not having success in the second half putting the ball in the basket, the Wizards still continued to move the ball. They just couldn’t execute the possessions.

Wizards struggled mightily on defense

The Celtics exploited the Wizards on screens. The Wizards couldn’t fight through the picks, and their defensive rotation wasn’t fast enough to get a strong contest. The screens freed up the Celtics for open looks from the three. The Celtics made 17 threes, many of which were wide open.

The Wizards’ slow rotations off traps also handicapped the defense.

Jayson Tatum also carved up the Wizards defense, getting all the looks he wanted. The Celtics’ frontman finished with 26 points. All-Star teammate Jaylen Brown finished with 25 points.

Tatum and Brown commanded the Wizards’ attention on defense. Washington couldn’t keep either at bay, which led to their teammates getting great looks. The Celtics thrived on driving through the lane, forcing Washington to collapse.

Despite showing great effort, the Wizards were still short of maintaining the Celtics offense, and need to improve on their defensive awareness.

Wizards need to get Alex Sarr more involved in the offense

This year’s No. 2 overall pick had a rough debut. Sarr scored a mere two points on 1-of-7 shooting.

The ball rarely ever swung Sarr’s way in the first half, only getting four touches in the first half.

When he touched the basketball, his shot selection didn’t mirror his game before entering the NBA. In Australia, he primarily scored by moving off the ball and cutting to the basket.

During his NBA debut Thursday, he got tasked with many pick-and-pops. Five of his seven shot attempts were three. He missed all five from beyond the arc.

Whether by design or not, Sarr played out of position throughout the night. As a seven-footer, taking more three than two is not ideal. Could his shot selection be a byproduct of his needing to develop a stronger postgame for the NBA?

Sarr’s first and only points of his NBA career came on a putback dunk from a missed layup by Kyle Kuzma. On the ensuing defensive possession, he was able to hold Jaylen Brown one-on-one, forcing a missed three-pointer from the Celtics star.

While his offense struggled, Sarr displayed a lot of effort on the defense. He looked much improved from the Summer League and preseason. He had active hands and stayed light on his feet.

This is a season of development in Washington. Their next game will be another daunting challenge, a home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. The Wizards will debut their new Statement uniforms.

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The Washington Wizards unveiled their new statement uniforms in June. On Saturday, the team announced when the stylish uniforms will debut.

The Wizards will debut the new statement uniforms at home on Oct. 26 against Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The contest will be Washington’s second game of the season.

The Wizards announced the statement debut by playing and donning the uniforms. While the team previously unveiled the uniforms, seeing the players wearing them gives the new threads the justice they deserve.

The blue jersey has the red Washington D.C. flag embedded into it, with the iconic “The District of Columbia” written into one of the stripes. The chest stripes also align with the team’s Icon and Association uniforms, which have variations of the two stripes. The shorts again have the flag wrapped around the right leg.

Overall, the uniform is simplistic and easy to understand.

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In their second preseason game, the Washington Wizards fell to the New York Knicks, 117-94. The Wizards showed no improvement in the off-season or tonight’s game as they struggled to rotate on defense and get off good shots. But when there are negatives, there are positives.

Number two overall pick Alexandre Sarr had another excellent game, silencing any doubts that surfaced in the Summer League. The rookie had 12 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks.

On the other hand, stars like Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma did not have a good night shooting the ball.

Kuzma took four shots and only made one. If Wednesday’s game against the Knicks is any indication, the veteran needs to get more involved in the offense and put up better quality shots to be the star he needs to be.

Poole, who started at point guard tonight with Malcolm Brogdon being out due to a hand injury, did okay distributing the ball. There are areas of improvement needed for Poole to be a point guard, but he did step up tonight. The main issue was that he missed many shots. He also took some nasty looks, shooting 4-for-13 from the field.

The bench did have a good game with the likes of rookie Kyshawn George and sharpshooter Corey Kispert. They both were consistent with their shot-making and tried to boost the Wizards before the Knicks gave them a huge run.

Without further ado, here are some takeaways from the Wizard’s second preseason games.

Wizards rookie Alex Sarr improving from Summer League play

Sarr is a good facilitator for the Wizards offense. When he drives and doesn’t have a shot in the paint, he consistently finds the open man to attempt a more straightforward shot.

What makes Sarr so good offensively is his ability to move off the ball. The rookie got his first points of the contest on a backdoor cut for an easy dunk. Half of Sarr’s 12 points came from him cutting behind his defender to the basket.

Sarr can be shakey from three, but he’s improving from his dreadful Summer League. Also, his jump shots look smoother, and his shots have more arch. Sarr shot 2-of-6 from three against the Knicks. He’s 4-of-10 through two preseason games.

But on the defensive side of his game, he needs to be a better one-on-one defender outside the paint. His feet look slow. In the second quarter, he was guarding Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who drove past Sarr to find Karl-Anthony Towns. Sarr proceeded to get scored on in three other one-on-one situations. He cements his feet too much and can’t recover for the contest.

However, Sarr is still a good shot blocker, finishing the game with four blocks. He does a good job recovering and using his height and reach.

Jordan Poole has improved at point guard

The Wizards need a veteran point guard outside of Malcolm Brogdon. Poole filled in as the starting point guard with Brogdon out.

Poole showed improvement in moving the ball to get better shots for the team. He finished with four assists. However, he had the potential to finish with more, and he did have some good dishes for his teammates; the shots didn’t fall.

Regarding his shot, Poole had an off night from the field. Poole did have some good looks but started forcing it towards the end of his playing time in the game. In transition, he settled for deep threes that didn’t fall. He shot dismal 1-of-7 from three.

Poole is more of a two than he is a one. That raises the question of whether Bub Carrington will get more involved in the rotation at point guard. The Wizards may need Carrington to offset Poole’s minutes between point and shooting guard.

The bench rejuvenated the game for the Wizards

The Wizards bench looked better than the starting five. Keep in mind that neither team’s rotations are set in stone. The bench had better ball movement and chemistry and forced many missed shots and turnovers. The ball movement looked crispier as they erased a 16-4 deficit.

At the start of the second quarter, the bench battled back and forth with the Knicks bench. But after a Carrington three, the Knicks went on an 11-0 run. That set the tone, and the Wizards never recovered.

Kispert scored seven points off the bench in the first quarter. He finished with 14 points off 5-of-9 shooting from the field.

George, who the Knicks originally drafted before getting traded to the Wizards, finished the night with 14, only missing one out of his six shots.

This season is more about development for the future. Hopefully, the Wizards continue to build a young core. George and Sarr flashed their potential in the Garden. Carrington will come around.

The post Three key takeaways from Wizards preseason loss to Knicks appeared first on DC Sports King.

On Saturday Team USA played an exhibition game against South Sudan in preparation for the 2024 Olympics. Despite Team USA having 12 current NBA players and 11 NBA All-Stars compared to South Sudan’s one current NBA player (JT Thor) it still trailed at halftime 58-44. However, Team USA mounted a comeback to win the game 101-100 behind LeBron James’ clutch layup

Team USA got criticized for the one-point win as the Americans were a 40-point favorite entering the game. Yet, no criticism was worse and more outlandish than former Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas made via his YouTube channel “No Chill Gil.”

Arenas made disparaging and uncalled-for claims about the South Sudan national team. His comments have deservingly drawn backlash.

“We almost lost to the (gibberish) tribe! Man Embiid over there g***** throwing the game for his cousins,” Arenas ranted.

Arenas used a racist term to insult the South Sudanese culture. He also insinuated Philadelphia 76ers Star Joel Embiid had a bad performance for his “cousins”. However, Joel Embiid is not from South Sudan. He was born and raised in Cameroon before coming to the United States to develop a basketball career.

Arenas followed his ignorant claim by saying, “Come on man, Cool Runnings? We don’t supposed to lose to the Cool Runnings team!”

“Cool Runnings” is a Disney comedy movie that loosely depicts the 1988 Jamaican National Bobsleigh team that competed in the Winter Olympics. Arenas referred to insult South Sudan further, despite the Cool Runnings film having no relation with South Sudan.

Arenas also made other false claims trying to poke fun at South Sudan’s lack of resources.

“They don’t even have shoes, they get their shoes from America, we gotta ship them shoes,” Arenas continued. “They had to use the shoes that we have extra, leftover shoes, they used the leftover shoes that Team USA didn’t want… They don’t even have basketball rims, dog… They shooting on [expletive] peach baskets in the dirt. No shoes!”

Aside from South Sudan having shoes — Adidas is the uniform provider of the basketball team — South Sudan basketball players do not just shoot on peach baskets. The country has made significant progress with functional basketball courts, and indoor facilities in large thanks to Luol Deng, who played a prominent role in promoting building basketball facilities, courts, and an overall culture.

Arenas placed an apology on the No Chill Gil community board. However, he didn’t back away from his comments. Instead, he seemingly tried to justify his actions by saying he was making jokes.

“Are you offended, or just pretending to be offended for clickbait? If you are offended, what part offended you personally? ‪@DREAMERSPRO‬​​

I made some jokes about the South Sudan basketball team, and some folks are saying it was racist. I just wanna set the record straight – that ain’t me, I was just clownin’, trying to bring some humor, nothing more, nothing less.

I got mad respect for the South Sudan squad and what they bring to the court. If anybody felt some type of way about what I said, my bad. It was never meant to be taken like that. We keep it real and inclusive around here. Thanks to all y’all for rocking with me and keeping it 100.”

The South Sudan basketball team will compete in its first Olympics in Paris. The team features two players with NBA experience, Carlik Jones and Wenyen Gabriel. They’ll play in Group C with the United States and open their Olympic competition on July 28 against Puerto Rico.

The remarks by Gilbert Arenas have been met with significant backlash from basketball fans and the South Sudanese community. Many have argued that Arena’s comments undermine a lot of the efforts of South Sudan’s players and those working to develop basketball in the country.

Deng serves as the South Sudan Basketball Federation president. On Wednesday, he shared his thoughts about Arenas’ comments:

“As for Gilbert’s comments, they were certainly more disrespectful and cruel,” Deng shared. “Personally, I don’t care much. I would never trade places with anyone; being African is special. However, for young African and African American kids who admire and listen to Gilbert, these comments can make you think less of yourself and make the rest of the world think less of Africans. Those who are easily misled may make comments that reflect self-hate more than pride. There is nothing about our history that we should run away from.”

The controversy highlights the challenges faced by less established basketball nations and the importance of fostering a positive environment to support their growth as a country and a basketball culture.

The post Gilbert Arenas criticized for controversial comments about South Sudan team appeared first on DC Sports King.