Kyshawn George Is Giving Washington Quality Minutes

The Wizards’ rookie wing has leaned into his strength from college: The long ball.

Nov 10, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) goes to the basket against Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva (23) during the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

During his lone college season at Miami, Kyshawn George was utilized as an outside gunner, with 130 of his 190 total shot attempts coming from the outside.

George, who hit nearly 41% of his long bombs, is 6-foot-8, and thus there was immediate attraction from NBA scouts, as there's always a need for switchy wings, who can space the floor. It made him the 24th overall selection in the summer draft, and as his NBA career has progressed, we've come to find that he's finding himself in a very familiar role with the Washington Wizards as he did in college. 

To date this season, 70.2% of George's shots are from beyond the arc, and he's launching plenty of them. Through nine games, the rookie has put up 59 triples, including a 6-for-17 performance on Nov. 4, which strongly indicates what type of player he'll become.

Of course, the 20-year-old's shot-selection isn't always stellar, and he'll need time to flesh out his game in order to become truly impactful to the Wizards. But that comes later.

For now, he's filling in for Kyle Kuzma, and doing what the Wizards need him to do, nor unlike how the Sacramento Kings used Keegan Murray during his debut season. 

So, what's the upside? 

You're hoping he'll add a creation element to his game in time, as to become far more unpredictable moving forward. His defense, of which he's shown flashes, must also continue to improve. 

If those two elements are achieved, he should be locking in a full-time starting spot, and for a good long while.

One encouraging sign we've seen from him already is his ability to play extended minutes, and keep himself involved in the game. He's averaging nearly 30 minutes on the season, which means great data points for the Wizards to take back and analyze.

Is George a real candidate to win Rookie Of the Year, given his minutes count? You can't rule it out, but 9.6 points and 4.4 rebounds is a bit pedestrian given how much he's out there. 

Should the rook string together some games wherein he consistently produces, the story changes however. For him, it's all about flashing enough potential, and enough production, for the Wizards to invest in him long-term.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

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