Inside The Wizards

Wizards Rookies Acing Start of Season

The Washington Wizards' trio of rookies is off to a good start.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 22, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) dribbles the ball as Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (8) defends in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Nov 22, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) dribbles the ball as Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (8) defends in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Washington Wizards aren't like most teams in the NBA this season when it comes to their rookie class.

Not many, if any, teams are playing three first-year players in their rotation, but the rebuilding Wizards have good reason to. They selected Alex Sarr (No. 2), Bub Carrington (No. 14) and Kyshawn George (No. 24) in the first round of this summer's draft. There aren't other players on the roster that should take their space, and with wins not at the highest priority, the Wizards can develop these players by giving them many on-court opportunities.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes graded every team's rookie class through the first month of the season and gave the Wizards an 'A-' for their efforts.

"Carrington and Sarr have been full-time starters from the jump, hardly a surprise for a Washington Wizards team with no reason to stunt the growth of its youth amid a loss-laden rebuild. Fortunately, both have shown legitimately projectable NBA skills in the opening weeks of their careers," Hughes writes. "George competes defensively and has ideal combo forward size but has been streaky as a shooter. He makes good decisions, though (39 assists to 11 turnovers from a forward is solid), and seems to fit well between Carrington and Sarr."

The Wizards rookies are still getting their feet wet and learning, but the environment that they are in allows them to try a bunch of things without fear of getting bench or having their spot taken by somebody else. Washington knows it is building a foundation with this trio, so the development that takes place this season should be of the highest priority for the Wizards.

The Wizards rookies will be back on the floor against the Chicago Bulls in their next NBA Cup game.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published
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.

Home/Washington Wizards News