Inside The Wizards

Wizards Must Prioritize Youth Movement

The Washington Wizards have four recent draft picks to develop.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 15, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) in the game against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Nov 15, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) in the game against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images / Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards have committed a lot of playing time to their young core, but they still have other players that they are looking out for.

The Wizards aren't expected to be very good this season, as evidenced by their 2-9 start, so in order to get the most out of this year, Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes believes the team needs to continue to focus on its "Core 4" in Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George, all of whom were selected in the first round of the past two drafts.

"This season is still all about Washington's youngest pieces, namely Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George," Hughes writes. "The only goals this year should be playing those four together as much as possible, hoping for a few bright flashes of development and chemistry, and being more than OK with watching as the losses mount. The only thing better than having four promising young players is getting a fifth with a high pick in the 2025 lottery."

The four young prospects have started a few games together already this season alongside Jordan Poole, but when Kyle Kuzma returned from his groin injury, George was knocked out of the starting unit.

The Wizards don't have to start all four of these players, but they should be getting priority over players like Kuzma, who don't fit the team's long-term timeline. Whether that means trading Kuzma or not remains to be seen, but the Wizards will have a successful season as long as they see positive development from all of their recent draft picks irrespective of what Kuzma, Poole and other veterans do.

The Wizards are back in action tonight as they take on Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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