Wizards See Encouraging Rookie Performances in Preseason

Washington’s newest crop of rookies have shown encouraging signs for their future in preseason.

Oct 9, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) dribbles against Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (20) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

At the 2024 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards were one of the top teams to watch, having freshly kicked off their rebuild and gaining the ammo to add to its core.

After trading into the final lottery spot on the first night of the draft, Washington had three first round picks, nabbing Alex Sarr No. 2 overall, Bub Carrington at No. 14 and forward Kyshawn George at No. 24.

Now, in its preseason slate, Washington is rolling out its rookies. Despite the 23-point loss to new Eastern Conference titan New York, Wednesday’s game was encouraging on a few fronts.

George was the standout on the day, shooting 5-for-6 overall to score 14 points, adding four rebounds, one assist, one steal and three blocks. The soon-to-be 21-year-old is a tad old for a rookie, but would still be considered a project by many. At around 6-foot-9, he has a highly unique skillset as a shooter, passer and pick-and-roll maestro.

Sarr, the team’s top pick, also saw encouraging play Wednesday, despite inefficiency from the field. He shot just 5-for-14 overall to score 12 points, but added in other ways, coming down with nine boards, dishing three assists and nabbing a patented three blocks.

In his first contest, Sarr was able to find his rhythm and catch fire from three. Against the Raptors, he scored 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting — including 75% shooting from three — adding four assists, three rebounds and one block.

Carrington, a jumbo guard and now one of the youngest players in the NBA, scored five points on 2-for-6 shooting with six rebounds.

All three of the Wizards’ rookies are very much projects. But with ample time to build the core back to contention, Washington will take a patient approach with each one. They won’t need to become positive and impactful players for a few season, and all stellar performances in the short-term are just icing on the cake.

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