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[Washington Wizards]

Wizards Lose But Still Can Say, “At Least We’re Not The Kings”

The best thing about the Sacramento Kings is that the Wizards can say, “At least we’re not the Sacramento Kings.”

Yes, the Kings beat the Wizards, 128-115 last night. It was their 12th victory of the year — just two more than the Wizards. But Sacramento has been bad while also being the league’s third oldest team (weighted for minutes). The Wizards at bad and young, which means they can still peddle hope. The Kings don’t even have that.

The Kings have no hope of being good with their current roster. They need to sell off their veterans for young players and draft picks. Their challenge is similar to where Washington was when Michael Winger and Will Dawkins took the helm — the older guys are pretty good with limitations and flaws, but their contracts are out of line with their production.

Their biggest challenge is the poor leadership of their owner Vivek Ranadive, which is something that likely won’t be rectified until he sells the team.

The game itself was at least somewhat entertaining. The Kings went on a 19-0 run to close the first quarter with a 19-point advantage. The teams played more or less even the rest of the way — the Wizards closing the gap to under five points a couple times in the second half. Each time, Sacramento responded with a run of their own to expand the margin.

It’s hard to overstate how bad Washington’s defense was in this one. The Kings entered the game with the league’s second worst offense, and with a generous helping of open and wide-open shots, posted a 128 offensive rating (points per possession x 100). That’s 18 points above their season average, and more than 12 points above league average.

The Kings achieved this absurd efficiency despite committing 18 turnovers and shooting just 19-30 on free throws. They connected on 15-31 (48.4%) from three-point range and posted an effective field goal percentage of 67.3%.

Russell Westbrook, a career 30.8% three-point shooter, shot 6-9 from deep, which boosted his three-point percentage this season to 35.7%.

Overall, the Wizards got decent production from their starting group (missing Khris Middleton and Bilal Coulibaly). Their bench — with the exception of Malaki Branham, who played probably the best game of his career — was a disaster.

Thoughts & Observations​

• Credit to head coach Brian Keefe for some tank-tastic lineup choices. For several (disastrous) minutes, he had a group out there that include AJ Johnson, Will Riley, Jamir Watkins, and Marvin Bagley III. I think the fifth was Bub Carrington. That grouping meant they had no one who could threaten the defense or lead an effective offense.
• The Wizards were -22 in Johnson’s 11 minutes of action.
• They were -19 in 22 minutes with Riley on the floor.
• Carrington played 38 minutes and took just four shots, but was still productive overall with 9 assists and 2 steals.
• Carrington has an odd mix of attributes. He’s 6-4 and rebounds at a level that suggests good size, strength, athleticism and competitiveness. He defends like a small, slow, weak guy — bigger players score at will when he defends in the post, quicker players drive with little resistance, his closeout are ineffective. He rarely drives, generates paint touches or gets shots at the rim, but is still an above-average playmaker. He’s shot well from deep, but has been astonishingly bad converting the few inside shots he gets.
• While I liked seeing Justin Champagnie in the starting lineup, and his overall production was decent, I thought his defensive work was subpar — especially early in the game.

Four Factors​

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

FOUR FACTORS	WIZARDS	KINGS	LGAVG
eFG%	55.0%	67.3%	54.4%
OREB%	17.5%	30.8%	26.2%
TOV%	11.0%	18.0%	12.8%
FTM/FGA	0.178	0.235	0.212
PACE	100	99.7
ORTG	115	128	115.7

Stats & Metrics​

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is 115.1. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 114, the league — on average — would produced 22.8 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -2.8.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

WIZARDS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Bub Carrington	39	81	158	11.9%	4.0	123	2
Tre Johnson	30	62	109	24.9%	-1.0	121	-1
Kyshawn George	24	50	131	24.4%	1.9	146	-12
Alex Sarr	28	58	128	25.0%	1.7	123	-5
Justin Champagnie	27	56	149	17.4%	3.2	119	-12
Malaki Branham	13	28	145	25.6%	2.1	240	11
Marvin Bagley III	19	40	110	19.8%	-0.4	13	-8
AJ Johnson	11	24	63	25.2%	-3.2	-9	-22
Jamir Watkins	26	55	67	14.5%	-3.8	-25	0
Will Riley	22	46	68	19.5%	-4.3	-64	-18
Anthony Gill	1	2	0	34.7%	-0.9	-318	0

KINGS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Russell Westbrook	31	65	145	25.4%	4.8	240	0
Precious Achiuwa	28	57	171	15.3%	4.8	212	-2
Zach LaVine	32	67	136	15.1%	2.0	128	10
Dennis Schroder	20	42	156	23.5%	3.9	203	12
Nique Clifford	19	39	135	18.6%	1.4	173	19
Domantas Sabonis	21	44	116	26.0%	0.0	126	14
Dylan Cardwell	19	39	149	14.2%	1.9	109	23
Maxime Raynaud	22	45	101	15.7%	-1.1	89	-7
DeMar DeRozan	33	68	111	21.0%	-0.7	51	-7
Malik Monk	16	33	60	27.0%	-4.9	-103	3

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...but-still-can-say-at-least-were-not-the-kings

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards at Nuggets final score: Washington loses final game of road trip, 121-115

The Washington Wizards lost to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night, 121-115.

Washington began the first half with a slim 63-62 lead with Khris Middleton and Alex Sarr scoring in double figures and after getting out a first quarter rut. Washington also out-rebounded Denver 23-17 which proved key to the lead. The Wizards continued to outrebound the Nuggets in the third quarter though there wasn’t much movement to the lead though Washington still led.

But like many other Wizards games this season, the talent disparity ultimately went against Washington’s favor when it was the fourth quarter. Tim Hardaway and Jamal Murray scored 31 of the Nuggets’ 38 points in the period while the Wizards only scored 29, though Kyshawn George scored 14 of his team leading 29 points then.

While Washington kept things interesting for much of the game thanks to their 48-38 rebounding advantage, they still allowed Denver to shoot 52.9 percent from the field while only shooting 45.8 percent themselves.

The Wizards’ road trip is now complete but they still have more western conference opponents to play. Their next game is at home against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. Tip off is at 3 p.m. ET. See you then.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...4/washington-wizards-denver-nuggets-nba-recap

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards vs Clippers Preview: Washington hosts LA at Home on MLK Day

Game Info​

When: Monday, January 19 at 3:00 p.m. ET

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass

Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC

Injury Report​

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard – Questionable (Ankle), Bogdan Bogdanovic – Out (Hamstring), Derrick Jones Jr. – Out (Knee), Bradley Beal – Out (Hip)

Wizards: Tristan Vukcevic – Out (Knee), Bilal Coulibaly – Out (Back), Cam Whitmore – Out (Shoulder), Trae Young – Out (Knee)

Pregame notes​

The Washington Wizards come back home after a 3-game road trip against Western Conference foes, that did not yield a win. Now they will try their luck at home against another Western Conference foe, the Los Angeles Clippers.

If you have been watching the NBA season this year, you are probably familiar with how much the Clippers struggled to start the season. Their struggles have been well-documented, but do not let that fool you, this team has played much better basketball as of late. They have won 14 out of their last 16 games, including a win over the Wizards in Los Angeles this past Wednesday. They have been sparked by the play of their two stars, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.

On the other side, the Wizards have lost six straight games coming into this one. Maybe this is according to plan as the team just a few weeks ago had won six of 10 games and looked poised to possibility play out of their position to guarantee top-8 pick in the draft. Make no mistake about it, this team’s young players will continue to play hard and we will continue to see progress, but Monday’s matchup looks tough going against one of the hottest teams in the league.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...wizards-los-angeles-clippers-nba-game-preview

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards Get Rebuilding Loss to the Denver Nuggets

Last night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets felt more like “rebuilding” than “tanking.” The Wizards played a flawed game loaded with mistakes and miscues, and were competitive throughout, carrying a small lead into the fourth quarter and forcing fourth quarter heroics from Jamal Murray and Tim Hardaway Jr. to ultimately lose.

Facing a team devoid of centers (Nikola Jokic and former Wizards great Jonas Valanciunas were both out with injuries), Washington dominated inside — +10 on the boards, 27-4 advantage on second chance points, and outscoring Denver 66-50 in the paint.

They lost because of an array of defensive breakdowns, and some elite shotmaking from Murray.

A few notes I took during the game:

• Denver won the opening tip and seconds later, Jalen Pickett walked into a wide open three. What happened? The Wizards didn’t match up properly. Two defenders were on Peyton Watson, and Tre Johnson (who was the closest defender) watched instead of sprinting into a closeout.
• In the first half, Wizards defenders repeatedly sagged into the lane off Murray. While the team’s defensive priority is protecting the paint, there is no way — none — that leaving Murray undefended in the corner was part of the defensive game plan. They stopped helping off him in the second half.
• Washington’s transition defense was poor for a few reasons. First, not sprinting back. Second, not matching up in ways that make sense. Third, ball watching and failing to notice opposing players positioning themselves for shots.
  • One Nuggets fast break got a transition corner three from Hardaway. Jamir Watkins got back but ball watched — failing to notice Hardaway running behind him to the corner. Watkins first noticed Hardaway when the ball swung to the man above the break, who Watkins picked up. When the pass went to the corner, Watkins sprinted to close out but was too late. Meanwhile, Marvin Bagley III and Justin Champagnie jogged back to the defensive end and never got involved in the play.
  • In the second quarter, Champagnie missed a three. While he watched the ball in flight, Bruce Brown (who’d closed out) ran to the offensive end. Bagley, Bub Carrington, and Tre Johnson all jogged back, but all three stopped out top and none of them noticed Brown behind them.
  • In the third quarter, Khris Middleton stopped playing to complain about a foul non-call. Meanwhile, his man got a wide open corner three in transition, which he (fortunately for Washington) missed.
• The Wizards defensive scheme uses some of the “pre-helping” concepts pioneered by the Oklahoma City Thunder and being used by more teams around the league. Basically, the weakside “low man” comes halfway into the lane to be in position to help if there’s a drive. It’s generally a good method of complicating penetration and reducing the number and quality of opponent at-rim attempts. The drawback can be giving up open threes.
  • One play made me laugh: Middleton was low man. He pre-helped on a Murray drive against Alex Sarr, who’d picked him up on a switch. Middleton came all the way across the lane and was (theoretically) in position to cut Murray off. Unfortunately, Middleton’s lack of mobility meant that Murray still got all the way to the rim — he made a nice pass to Spencer Jones, who’d made a cut behind the help…which Carrington (who had weakside zone responsibility) missed because he was ball watching.

I know the preceding is a recitation of woes, but this game wasn’t bad. They were competitive in ways they should have been based on who was missing from the opponent’s lineup. They made mistakes early on and corrected them during the game. The scheme they’re trying to execute is good. What I noticed as problems are pretty normal for young players and are correctable with experience and acceptance of coaching.

Thoughts & Observations​

• Champagnie does a nice job of cutting to the rim when his man moves into a help position or turns his head.
• Strong offensive game from George — an efficient 29 points to go with 5 rebounds and 7 assists. He was credited with three blocks, though I do not think he played well defensively — he’s guilty of ball watching, leaving his man to help when it’s not necessary, and not matching up properly.
• Murray was the first guard in several weeks (at least) to figure out a counter to Sarr’s chase down blocks when driving the switch. Instead of a more normal extension into a layup, Murray jumped straight up as he laid the ball in. Sarr crashed into him and it became a three-point play.
• Sarr did as well as any big man could be expected when switched onto Murray. He prevented penetration a couple timed, forced Murray into difficult shots at others, and even poked the ball loose once.
• Bagley had another strong game off the bench. I’m curious to see Sarr and Bagley play together.
• With Bilal Coulibaly out, the Wizards had no strong point of attack defender.
• Abysmal game from Tre Johnson, who hit just 1-10 from the floor and missed all four of his three-point attempts. I didn’t love his shot selection, which was heavy on runners and floaters, which tend to be low value shots. The one he made was runner.
• Aaron Gordon was two points from a triple-double. Filling in a center, he tallied 11 assists, including one pass that was Jokic-light — he caught the ball in the post and instantly spun and hit a shooter in the opposite corner — literally behind his head. There was no way he could see the man before he went into the pass. I call it “Jokic-light” because Jokic would have made the same pass but no-look.
• Peyton Watson has been on a scoring binge with Jokic out. He has an impressive package of skills and the ability to make shots. His offensive efficiency would have gotten a solid boost if he’d shot better than 4-8 from the free throw line.

Four Factors​

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

FOUR FACTORS	WIZARDS	NUGGETS	LGAVG
eFG%	51.6%	61.2%	54.4%
OREB%	33.3%	11.4%	26.2%
TOV%	10.9%	11.8%	12.8%
FTM/FGA	0.167	0.200	0.211
PACE	101	99.7
ORTG	114	119	115.7

Stats & Metrics​

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is 115.1. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 114, the league — on average — would produced 22.8 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -2.8.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

WIZARDS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Kyshawn George	32	67	145	28.9%	5.8	243	-6
Justin Champagnie	26	55	112	20.3%	-0.4	152	1
Marvin Bagley III	20	42	144	24.8%	2.9	200	2
Khris Middleton	27	57	131	22.1%	1.9	136	-9
Jamir Watkins	21	44	193	4.9%	1.7	96	3
Will Riley	16	34	97	18.7%	-1.2	62	1
Bub Carrington	39	82	86	18.5%	-4.5	20	-6
Alex Sarr	28	60	102	24.0%	-2.0	15	-8
Tre Johnson	31	65	52	14.5%	-6.0	-78	-8

NUGGETS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Jamal Murray	39	83	128	36.1%	3.8	272	5
Tim Hardaway Jr.	36	75	131	25.0%	2.9	150	0
Aaron Gordon	32	68	119	16.8%	0.4	125	14
Spencer Jones	29	61	180	6.1%	2.4	90	-6
Jalen Pickett	22	47	107	15.3%	-0.6	112	8
Peyton Watson	35	74	106	23.7%	-1.7	64	5
Zeke Nnaji	16	34	125	11.8%	0.4	81	-8
Julian Strawther	6	12	0	6.5%	-0.9	2	2
Bruce Brown	25	52	84	14.3%	-2.4	-35	10

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...rds-get-rebuilding-loss-to-the-denver-nuggets

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards vs Clippers Recap: Washington loses to LA on Monday, 110-106

Wizards lose their seventh straight game.

Those pesky young Wizards fought in this game. This is despite the dominance of James Harden. As the game went on, the Wizards decided to double team Harden to get the ball out of his hands more. Harden did a great job of moving the ball to the open man and making the Wizards pay for it.

The Wizards countered by making the oldest team in the league do what any young team should do, make them play in transition more. This adjustment helped the Wizards to get out of the gates in the 2nd half with a 10-point lead. That lead would soon evaporate as the Wizards could not keep up the momentum.

Washington’s Achilles’ heel in this game was turnovers. 19 turnovers for the game, especially the ‘live ball’ turnovers killed the Wizards’ momentum at points in this game. Clippers got 21 points off of turnovers and also won the battle of points in the paint, 60-38. Those two issues stopped the Wizards from having a chance in this one.

Wizards lose this one 110-106. Next up, they will host the Denver Nuggets at Capital One Arena on Thursday evening.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...ards-lose-a-close-one-to-the-clippers-110-106

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards vs Clippers Discussion

The Washington Wizards play the Los Angeles Clippers at 3:00 p.m. today at Capital One Arena. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/washington-wizards-gamethreads/67584/wizards-vs-clippers-discussion

 

[Washington Wizards]

Zion Williamson could be a possible stretch target for the Wizards, according to report

January 2026 has been a shock for the Washington Wizards. Early in the month, there was speculation that then-Atlanta Hawks guard Trey Young may be a target for Washington and that Young preferred the Wizards. In a matter of days, Young got traded to the Wizards for a relatively low price asset-wise: Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum. So using that line of thinking, a recent piece by Joshua Robbins of The Athletic indicates that New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson could also be a target for Washington considering how quickly the Wizards acquired Young.

The Pelicans, at least on the record, do not intend to trade him. But considering his injury history despite his talent, if the Wizards offer some compensation their way, it’s possible that the Pelicans could listen. Here is an excerpt from Robbins’ piece:

With the Young trade as the template of a low-cost trade for a distressed asset, league sources speculated that New Orleans Pelicans big man Zion Williamson would be someone the Wizards would have to consider if the price is right.

The Pelicans reportedly have told teams they’re not going to trade Williamson, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Derik Queen or Jeremiah Fears. As it pertains to Williamson only, however, league sources expressed skepticism to The Athletic about that report.

League sources said they cannot envision any scenario in which Washington would give up one of its own future first-round picks. But one source speculated that a pick owed to the Wizards, such as the least favorable of the Houston Rockets’ (top-four protected), LA Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2026 first-round picks, might satisfy the Pelicans’ goals.

To be crystal clear: The Wizards trading for Williamson appears to be an extreme long shot. But it was mentioned as a possibility by enough league sources that it at least should be mentioned here.

The Wizards made noise early this month by acquiring one of the league’s most potent scorers. So, knowing how quickly that move happened, who knows what could happen with Williamson? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...mson-possible-washington-wizards-trade-target

 

[Washington Wizards]

Midpoint Checkup: Wizards Are A Work In Progress

The first half of the 2025-26 season is history, and the Wizards season has at times inspired hope, frustration, and laughter. There have been puzzling moments (like Kyshawn George trying to force James Harden to go left — TWICE in the final minutes of a close game) and some exciting ones as well (like Alex Sarr emerging as one of the game’s better rim protectors).

At 10-32, the Wizards have the NBA’s third worst winning percentage (the New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers are percentage points ahead behind). They‘re 14th in the East, 8.5 games out of the play-in, and they have the league’s worst scoring differential adjusted for strength of schedule or not.

As I’ve written previously, scoring margin is the best measure of relative team strength. Adjusted for opponent quality, the Wizards are -10.8 per game this season. That’s a whopping 2.6 points per game worse than the 29th ranked Sacramento Kings.

Barring a complete second half meltdown, the Wizards are out of “worst ever” historical status. Their adjusted scoring margin is 11th worst all-time, which is an improvement from last season when they were third worst. Ever. They remain on course for the worst two-year run — at least in terms of scoring margin — in NBA history.

The Measuring Stick​

Here’s where the Wizards currently rank in the various key stats of team strength (where they ranked at the last update, which was Jan. 13, is in parentheses):

• Offensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions): 28 (27)
• Defensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions): 29 (29)

The departures of CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert have — at least temporarily — reduced Washington’s offensive efficiency. Kispert’s impact is less because he missed much of the season with injuries. Trading McCollum is more consequential because of his ability to create good shots and to make tough ones. Plus, his experience helped the team stay somewhat organized.

With McCollum gone, the young guys have to figure things out on their own, which at this point is probably a good thing for their long-term development. Call it a short-term quarter step back in hopes of taking a couple giant steps forward.

Offensive Four Factors​

• eFG%: 23 (21)
• Offensive Rebounding Percentage: 19 (20)
• Turnover Rate: 26 (26)
• Free Throws Made/Field Goal Attempts: 27 (26)

Since the McCollum trade, the Wizards have shot worse and committed more turnovers. They’re also getting to the free throw line a bit less.

Defensive Four Factors​

• eFG%: 22 (23)
• Defensive Rebounding Percentage: 30 (30)
• Turnover Rate: 28 (28)
• Free Throws Made/Field Goal Attempts: 21 (15)

They’re still last in defensive rebounding, but the actual percentage has gone up to 71.0% — it was 70.0% just a few games ago. They’re still almost two percentage points from 29th. As I wrote after a recent game, the defensive results aren’t good, but the coaching staff is implementing a good defensive scheme, and we’re seeing the predictable growing pains.

Player Production Average​

Below is a table with updated results from the Player Production Average (PPA) metric so far this season. PPA is an overall rating metric I developed that credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, play-making, defending) and debits them for things that hurt the cause (missed shots, turnovers, fouls, ineffective defense). PPA is similar to other linear weight rating metrics such as John Hollinger’s PER, David Berri’s Wins Produced, Kevin Pelton’s VORP, and the granddaddy of them all, Dave Heeren’s TENDEX.

PPA weighs a player’s performance per possession against that of his competitors season by season. While PPA falls into the category of a linear weight metric, the values for statistical categories float a bit season-to-season based on league performance.

PPA is pace neutral, accounts for defense, and includes a “degree of difficulty” factor based on the level of competition a player faces while on the floor. Beginning with the 2019-20 season, I added a position/role adjustment designed to reflect how roles and on-court positioning affect individual abilities to produce certain stats.

Inputs include:

• on-court team defensive rating
• points
• rebounds (offensive and defensive weighed differently)
• assists
• steals
• blocks
• shot attempts
• turnovers
• personal fouls
• starts
• minutes

In the table below, I’ve included each player’s PPA last time, currently (through games played Jan. 19 — game 42), as well as games played and minutes per game. The Garbage Time Brigade has their own section.

In the table below, LAST = the player’s PPA when I last ran an update, which was through games played Jan. 7, 2026.

PLAYER	GAMES	MPG	LAST	PPA
Alex Sarr	33	27.8	157	145
Marvin Bagley III	36	19.3	108	104
Justin Champagnie	40	18.5	99	96
Kyshawn George	33	31.2	89	94
Bilal Coulibaly	25	26.6	83	81
Tre Johnson	35	24.7	79	80
Khris Middleton	29	24.3	83	78
Malaki Branham	24	9.6	42	56
Bub Carrington	42	28.3	47	51
Cam Whitmore	21	16.9	49	49
Tristan Vukcevic	30	11.4	43	46
Will Riley	34	13.8	43	34
AJ Johnson	23	7.1	-7	-13
DEPARTED	GAMES	MPG	PPA	PPA
CJ McCollum	35	30.9	121	121
Corey Kispert	19	19.5	78	78
GTB	GAMES	MPG	PPA	PPA
Anthony Gill	19	3.8	56	48
Jamir Watkins	17	13.4	37	29
Sharife Cooper	4	2.5	-66	-66

2026 All-Star Ballot​

Below is a table showing my picks right now for this year’s All-Star game based on a mix of stats and watching too many games.

EAST	WEST
Giannis Antetokounmpo	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Donovan Mitchell	Nikola Jokic
Tyrese Maxey	Kawhi Leonard
Jalen Duren	Stephen Curry
Jalen Johnson	Luka Doncic
Michael Porter Jr.	Jamal Murray
Cade Cunningham	Anthony Edwards
Jalen Brunson	Victor Wembanyama
Jaylen Brown	Chet Holmgren
Josh Giddey	LeBron James
Norman Powell	Kevin Durant
Scottie Barnes	Deni Avdija

• I paid no attention to position because apparently All-Star has now joined All-NBA as positionless.
• I also paid no attention to the U.S. vs. International aspect of this year’s festivities. On a quick eyeballing of the lists, I see at least eight international players, which is the minimum required.
• I’m not sure if Deni Avdija will actually make the team. He’s playing really well, and there are a lot of good vibes out there about him. In my view, he’s in an arguable group with maybe 6-10 other guys.
• MVP is a two-man race, assuming Jokic can get to the stupid 65-game requirement. SGA’s PPA is 299 (the only player to crack 300 was Stephen Curry, who did it once). Jokic is at 288. Giannis is third at 257.
• LeBron James isn’t on my list because of his status as the game’s elder statesman. His PPA is 182 this season, which is excellent. If I was to drop an old guy for someone playing a little better, it would be Kevin Durant.
• I wanted very much to find a spot for Jimmy Butler, who’s having an excellent season, but I couldn’t see giving two spots to the Golden State Warriors.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...dpoint-checkup-wizards-are-a-work-in-progress

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards vs. Nuggets preview: Washington eyes end to losing streak against Denver

The Washington Wizards will try to snap a lengthy losing skid Thursday against the Denver Nuggets at Capital One Arena.

Game info​

When: Thursday, Jan, 22 at 7:00 p.m. ET

Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass

Injuries: For the Wizards, Bilal Coulibaly (back) and Tristan Vukcevic (rest) are questionable, while Trae Young (knee, quad) and Cam Whitmore (shoulder) are out.

For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic (knee), Christian Braun (ankle), Cam Johnson (knee), and Jonas Valanciunas (calf) are out.

What to watch for​

The Wizards look to end their woes against the West with a quick rematch against the Nuggets. Washington has gone 0-6 in its ongoing stretch of games against foes from the opposing conference. The matchup against Denver at home is the team’s last shot to salvage a win before finally facing an East rival again.

Kyshawn George went off against the Nuggets, when they faced off last Saturday. He tallied 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting in the contest, including 14 points in the final period to make things interesting down the stretch, but it wasn’t enough as the Wiz lost 121-115.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Nuggets adjust defensively against George, and how the second-year swingman responds.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...gton-eyes-end-to-losing-streak-against-denver

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards at Nuggets discussion

The Washington Wizards play the Denver Nuggets at 9 p.m. ET tonight. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/washington-wizards-gamethreads/67561/wizards-at-nuggets-discussion

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards vs. Nuggets discussion

The Washington Wizards play the Denver Nuggets at 7 p.m. today at Capital One Arena. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/washington-wizards-gamethreads/67610/wizards-vs-nuggets-discussion

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards Lose Eighth Straight

In a classic dog days of the NBA season kind of game, the Wizards lost to the Denver Nuggets, 107-97. It was Washington’s eighth straight loss, and it was a slog to watch.

Both teams seemed tired and low energy. The Nuggets had something of an excuse — they played Tuesday in Los Angeles and flew across the country. Washington’s last game was at home on Monday afternoon. Maybe they had some hard practices?

Despite both teams missing loads of shots, they combined for 17 total transition points — nine for the Wizards, and eight for the the Nuggets. The Nuggets walked the ball up the floor on many possessions. They exhibited relatively disciplined shot selection and won just enough possessions to get the win.

The Wizards, who usually push the ball up the floor quickly after opponent makes or misses, were content to walk it up themselves. Unlike the Nuggets, they were far more likely to take a quick shot. If there was a theme in this game, it was Washington working hard individually to get a difficult shot, and the Nuggets working as a team to get better ones.

This was certainly not a rule. Jamal Murray had a “Murray Flurry” (as dubbed by the Nuggets broadcast) in the third quarter that was heavy on isos. Peyton Watson had a few terrific one-on-one play. In general, though, the Nuggets would run actions and move ball and players until they got an advantage, and then attack.

Watson played great for the Nuggets — a career-high 35 points along with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks. He took a hard fall when he got clotheslined trying to dunk on Khris Middleton after earlier turning his ankle landing after scoring a highlight-reel bucked on Alex Sarr. His emergence as a quality offensive option is a great development for Denver — made possible by Nikola Jokic’s knee injury.

Thoughts & Observations​

• While transition defense wasn’t much of an issue last night (the Nuggets were apparently too tired to run), one play early in the game exemplified the team’s struggles defending in transition. Denver came up with a steal and Murray started up the floor. Tre Johnson was the only defender back — two Nuggets players were ahead of the ball. Johnson had to choose — match up with his man on the wing or pick up Aaron Gordon in the center of the floor. Correct prioritization would have sent him to Gordon. Johnson went to the wing. That left Gordon alone under the rim for an easy dunk.
• I could be wrong on this one, but…there was an offensive fast break I think the Wizards got wrong. They had a three-on-two. Kyshawn George had the ball and was dribbling to the offensive end right-of-center of the court. To his left was Sarr in the middle and Will Riley on the wing. To me, the right play would have been for George to go to the middle and for Sarr to cross over to get on his right — ball in the middle flanked by offensive players. Another option could have been for George to move further right to open more of a lane for Sarr to come down the middle of the lane and force a Denver defender to guard two guys. Instead, George dribbled straight up the floor, Sarr and Riley ran their lanes, and Denver defenders never had to make a real decision. The tight spacing gave George only two real options — drive into two defenders or kick it out to Riley on the wing. The tight spacing meant there was a relatively short closeout. Riley missed the three-point attempt, and the Wizards didn’t score on a three-on-two break.
• George was this close to having an impressive game, despite shooting just 6-17 from the floor. He had 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and a steal. The three turnovers were acceptable given the assists and his overall offensive load. He’s gotta stop fouling so much — especially the pointless tantrumy ones.
• The spate of “injuries” meant that Anthony Gill got rotation minutes, and he wasn’t bad.
• One good thing: unlike their last matchup with the Nuggets, I didn’t see the Wizards helping off Murray. He had to work harder to generate offense.

Four Factors​

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

FOUR FACTORS	NUGGETS	WIZARDS	LGAVG
eFG%	50.0%	45.8%	54.4%
OREB%	28.2%	28.6%	26.1%
TOV%	11.8%	15.1%	12.8%
FTM/FGA	0.289	0.238	0.211
PACE	93	99.6
ORTG	115	104	115.7

Stats & Metrics​

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is 115.1. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 114, the league — on average — would produced 22.8 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -2.8.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

WIZARDS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Tre Johnson	34	66	124	21.4%	1.1	125	-11
Kyshawn George	34	66	110	30.5%	-1.1	118	-4
Alex Sarr	36	71	118	19.0%	0.4	106	-9
Justin Champagnie	18	35	191	6.9%	1.8	131	2
Anthony Gill	12	23	213	4.3%	0.9	117	1
Will Riley	21	40	96	27.5%	-2.2	63	5
Jamir Watkins	18	36	106	11.3%	-0.4	72	2
Bub Carrington	38	74	72	22.5%	-7.3	10	-18
Khris Middleton	28	54	77	18.5%	-3.9	-43	-18

NUGGETS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Peyton Watson	40	78	170	23.8%	9.9	375	13
Jamal Murray	36	70	109	29.0%	-1.3	172	18
Aaron Gordon	33	65	132	19.2%	2.0	136	23
Jonas Valanciunas	22	43	129	30.6%	1.7	152	-3
Bruce Brown	18	35	96	24.2%	-1.7	150	-7
Spencer Jones	28	54	121	3.2%	0.1	45	0
Zeke Nnaji	10	20	133	11.5%	0.4	90	-2
Jalen Pickett	33	63	68	13.3%	-4.0	-15	16
Tim Hardaway Jr.	20	38	19	21.0%	-7.8	-172	-8

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...l-analysis/67615/wizards-lose-eighth-straight

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards and Whatnot, vol. II: Trade season heats up

Welcome to the second installment of “Wizards and Whatnot,” where I take you through the happenings around the NBA and check in on the Wizards when necessary. We’re officially in the midseason pre-All Star lull, where games and results start to blend together, so I’m here to guide you through what’s going on.

Who want me?​

The trade deadline is looming, and the names being floated on the trade market would make casual NBA fans who get their fix on Instagram Reels squeal. We real game watchers, though… we know some of these names carry more weight than the players themselves do.

The Memphis Grizzlies are open for business, and expect the return they get back for Ja Morant to be pitiful. The one-time “face of the league” candidate is so averse to playing in NBA basketball games and so disinterested when he finally suits up that his value has crashed to an all-time low and the Grizzlies just sound happy to move on.

Anthony Davis is out for at least six weeks, meaning there is a real shot he has played his last game as a Dallas Maverick. Every time I look at the Mavs roster I have no choice but to cross my arms, hit a scowl, lightly shake my head and softly scoff. The strategy of stockpiling pretty good frontcourt players and punting on both guard spots has burned the Mavs, and they’re probably going to pitifully flip Davis (and, by the transitive property, LUKA DONCIC) for a collection of spare parts and a draft pick.

I predict LaMelo Ball and Zach Lavine, the co-chairmen of the “no impact on the outcome of the game” committee, will stay put, Lavine because I can’t fathom another team is willing to pay $50 million for his services and Ball because those jerseys just keep flying off the shelves with the 16-and-under demographic

Paid vaTraetion​

The Wizards made the first big splash of trade season by dealing for Trae Young, who has yet to suit up in a Wizards jersey. Young is due to be re-evaluated following the All-Star break in a little under a month, though I’m not totally convinced he will make his Wizards debut until the start of the 2026-27 season.

The 10-33 Wizards are embroiled in a fresh 8-game free-fall, so there is really no rush to get Young back on the court.

The mother of all pretenders​

I grew up in Los Angeles as a major Clippers fan. All of my friends were, of course, arrogant Lakers fans, so this part of the column is going to feel really great to write.

This year’s Lakers are a mess. They’re 26-17 but sport a negative net rating, meaning end-of-game execution (or luck) is the only thing buoying their record above .500. Their three best players are Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and 41-year-old LeBron James, three individuals who would prefer not to play defense.

DeAndre Ayton and Rui Hachimura, who both famously are not particularly interested in getting better at the sport of basketball, round out the starting five. The Lakers have the 25th-ranked defense in the NBA, the worst of any team even in contention for the play-in tournament.

This team is staring down a dismantling in the first round of the playoffs, and I honestly doubt that they are going to make a major in-season splash. My group chat of my high school friends remains abuzz with delusions of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the purple and gold, but they’re going to have to be content with a player like Josh Okogie instead.

That being said, they traded for Luka Doncic last year, so what do I know?

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...9/wizards-and-whatnot-nba-column-marco-gacina

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards at Hornets preview: Washington heads to Charlotte on Saturday

The Washington Wizards play the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. Here is the preview.

Game info​

When: Saturday, Jan. 24 at 12 p.m. ET

Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass

Injuries: For the Wizards, Bilal Coulibaly (back) and Tristan Vukcevic (rest) are questionable, while Trae Young (knee, quad) and Cam Whitmore (shoulder) are out.

For the Hornets, Mason Plumlee (groin) is out. Grant Williams, KJ Simpson and Tre Mann are questionable because they missed yesterday’s game against the Orlando Magic.

What to watch for​

The Wizards will look to do two things tomorrow afternoon. First, they need to snap this eight-game losing streak. And the Hornets are a team Washington could defeat. They are coming off a 124-97 win against the Magic yesterday. And the Hornets also had some impressive road wins against the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets!

Charlotte is now on a two-game homestand and may be looking to feel a bit comfortable at home before an ice storm hits Saturday evening. But for the Wizards, they may be a bit excited about winter weather, because the same storm will dump at least 6 inches of snow locally. The less …. distracted team will win this one in my opinion. Hopefully, Washington comes out on top.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...on-wizards-charlotte-hornets-nba-game-preview

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards at Hornets discussion

The Washington Wizards play the Charlotte Hornets at noon today. The game was originally scheduled for 6 p.m. but was moved up due to impending weather. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/washington-wizards-gamethreads/67635/wizards-at-hornets-discussion

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards Start Youngest Lineup Ever, Get Same Result, Make Subtle Progress

The Wizards lost again, this time to the Charlotte Hornets. It was their ninth straight defeat, and they’re back in last place.

The Wizards starting lineup was the youngest in NBA history — Will Riley and Tre Johnson are both 19. Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington are 20. Kyshawn George was the old guy at 22. Yes, they should have started Justin Champagnie (age 24), but I like using the opportunity to get Riley his first NBA start and taking advantage to set the record.

The game was replete with some of the same-old-same-old. They had plenty of defensive breakdowns. They got dominated on the glass. And yet, I saw some things in this one that I think are positive signs for the future.

• Throughout the night, Sarr’s combination of length, agility, and skills were way too much for the Hornets to handle — at least on the offensive end. He was too strong and long for Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges. He was much too quick for Ryan Kalkbrenner. He shot over defenders whether big or small.
• Jamir Watkins was a defensive menace. He tallied five steals and two blocks, including an open-court strip of Collin Sexton (which resulted in a breakaway dunk) and alert plays in passing lanes.
• Repeatedly in my notes are entries about the team’s well-designed offensive system. Some examples:
• At 9:11 of the second quarter, the Wizards ran a high screen action to get an open look out top. If you’ve watched any game this season, you’ve seen this action. In this example, Sarr screen for Johnson, who immediately went into a three-point shot upon receiving the pass from George. He got fouled and ended up at the free throw line. This is an example of Washington’s offensive design — it’s a difficult action to defend and comes with a set of options if the primary action is covered. Brian Keefe’s challenge: getting his exuberant youngsters to consistently execute the system.
• Probably my favorite observation in this one was noticing something new: Tre Johnson producing gravity. In transition during the third quarter, the threat of Johnson at the three-point line drew a hyper-aggressive closeout. He attacked the closeout and drove middle. Charlotte’s defense collapsed on him, he kicked to George, who got a wide open three, which he missed. He drew defensive attention beyond the three-point line throughout the second half, which helped give his teammates more space to operate.
• In the fourth quarter, the Wizards defense was actually good. The results (108 defensive rating) weren’t all-time great, but their communication was excellent, their switches were seamless, and they worked together as a unit to keep Hornets players from driving. They forced Charlotte deeper into the shot clock and forced them to take difficult shots. Charlotte made enough of those shots to secure the win, but the defensive process was mostly what it needed to be.
• Sturdier perimeter defense — meaning preventing or cutting off drives — is important to Washington’s defense. Even in that fourth quarter, Charlotte paint touches led to open threes. They shot just 1-8 from deep in the period.
• Champagnie and Sarr both had terrific fourth quarters.
• I don’t know the numbers, but my eye tells me Sarr is superb when switching onto smaller players on the perimeter. His ability to get low and move was key to Washington’s fourth quarter defense.
• Another great example of Johnson’s gravity came with about 4:10 left in the game. The Wizards set stagger screens to bring Johnson up from the corner. Charlotte covered the initial action well, so Johnson cleared to the weak side, and Carrington dribbled to the right. Sarr immediately re-screened for Johnson to come back to the middle, who caught the pass on the move and drove into the lane. Four (4!) defenders reacted to him. He kicked to Champagnie in the corner, who swung it to Carrington out top for a wide open three.
• One more example of Keefe’s good play design — with 2:30 left in the game, the Wizards ran a devilish baseline out of bounds play. Washington gets a surprisingly high number of layups and dunks on BLOB plays, and this was one of them. In this version, Champagnie ran a fake screen action — it looked to the defense like he was going to set a back screen for a teammate to cut to the basket. At the last second, he slipped the screen and made the cut himself. He came open for a dunk. Superb design.

The Wizards have a long ways to go with players executing the scheme, getting stronger, and getting smarter. They really need George to become a consistently better decision-maker…if he’s going to retain a significant on-ball roll. Still, I think there’s reason to be encouraged. They’re showing improvement and there’s room for plenty more.

Four Factors​

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

FOUR FACTORS	WIZARDS	HORNETS	LGAVG
eFG%	55.7%	60.8%	54.4%
OREB%	22.7%	33.3%	26.1%
TOV%	12.9%	20.9%	12.8%
FTM/FGA	0.083	0.291	0.210
PACE	100	99.6
ORTG	114	118	115.6

Stats & Metrics​

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is 115.1. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 114, the league — on average — would produced 22.8 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -2.8.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

WIZARDS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Justin Champagnie	32	67	147	14.8%	3.1	216	4
Jamir Watkins	29	60	135	14.2%	1.7	199	12
Bub Carrington	32	68	136	17.9%	2.5	160	-12
Alex Sarr	37	78	118	21.9%	0.4	99	-16
Tre Johnson	37	76	111	28.1%	-1.0	82	-2
Will Riley	23	49	131	9.8%	0.8	79	-22
Kyshawn George	25	53	87	28.7%	-4.4	66	-10
Sharife Cooper	9	20	145	9.8%	0.6	123	6
Malaki Branham	8	16	94	23.1%	-0.8	42	8
Anthony Gill	7	15	55	14.4%	-1.3	-116	12

HORNETS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Brandon Miller	33	70	124	26.9%	1.6	204	15
Moussa Diabate	32	67	146	13.5%	2.8	146	13
Kon Knueppel	32	67	127	18.0%	1.4	130	-9
LaMelo Ball	32	66	108	30.9%	-1.6	122	6
Miles Bridges	29	60	124	25.2%	1.3	132	3
Collin Sexton	16	33	108	24.1%	-0.6	195	-8
Ryan Kalkbrenner	16	33	159	12.4%	1.8	134	-9
Josh Green	15	32	180	7.9%	1.6	78	10
Grant Williams	19	40	60	11.3%	-2.5	1	1
Sion James	16	34	65	28.0%	-4.8	-70	-2

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...eup-ever-get-same-result-make-subtle-progress

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards at Hornets final score: Washington unable to complete comeback in 119-115 loss

The Washington Wizards lost to the Charlotte Hornets, 119-115 on Saturday afternoon. The game was moved to earlier in the day due to an imminent ice storm that will hit Charlotte and the Carolinas. That same storm is expected to hit the Washington area as well with a combination of snow that could hit up to 12 inches or more in some areas.

Washington did not get off to the right start with a 66-58 deficit. They let the Hornets shoot 57.9 percent from the field, 60 percent from the three point line and three Hornets scored in double figures alone. If the Hornets weren’t so turnover prone, this game could have been a blowout at Washington’s expense early on.

Charlotte was able to maintain a double digit lead for the third quarter and expanded their lead to as many as 18 points early in the fourth quarter. But Washington made a big run throughout the fourth quarter to get the game within one possession when Jamir Watkins made a basket with less than two minutes left. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough for the Wizards to escape with a win. In the fourth quarter, the Wizards shot 53.8 percent from the field and shot 5-of-9 from the three point line while the Hornets short 44.4 percent and just 1-of-8 from the three point line themselves. This game was right there considering the comeback.

Tre Johnson was a bright spot for the Wizards, scoring 26 points and getting the start. Alex Sarr added 24 points and Justin Champagnie added 15 points and 11 points off the bench.

For the Hornets, Brandon Miller led with 21 points.

The Wizards’ next game is on Tuesday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers. Tip off is at 7 p.m. ET. See you then and stay safe from the snow and ice.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...on-wizards-charlotte-hornets-nba-game-preview

 

[Washington Wizards]

Meghan McPeak leaves Monumental Sports Network for Versant’s WNBA coverage

Monumental Sports Network reporter Meghan McPeak will be leaving for Versant to serve as a play-by-play announcer for the WNBA for its expanded coverage for the 2026 season. McPeak serves Monumental Sports Network as the Washington Mystics’ play-by-play announcer and the Washington Wizards’ sideline reporter. McPeak came to the network seven years ago as the Capital City Go-Go’s announcer, but her role ultimately expanded to her current roles with the Mystics and Wizards.

You can watch her announce the move below with Wizards and Mystics studio analyst Wes Hall on Thursday evening.

"I'm not saying goodbye.. I'm just saying see you later."

After 7 years with Monumental Sports Network, @meghanmcpeak is taking the next step in her journey! @realweshall | @MSE pic.twitter.com/3zGz44sWeA

— Monumental Sports Network (@MonSportsNet) January 22, 2026

The WNBA will kick off its new media rights deal in 2026 with Amazon and Versant, the successor to Comcast’s cable networks like USA, CNBC and MS NOW (formerly MSNBC). You can see McPeak’s initial post on X below.

Beyond excited to be joining this group of women and the @USANetwork Sports family for their WNBA coverage!

Fun Loading pic.twitter.com/jj07C0gzAK

— ᴍᴇɢʜᴀɴ ᴍᴄᴘᴇᴀᴋ (@meghanmcpeak) January 23, 2026

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/late...mcpeak-monumental-sports-network-wnba-versant

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards at Hornets game to be rescheduled due to winter weather

On Thursday, the NBA announced that the Washington Wizards’ game against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, Jan. 24 will be moved up to 12 p.m. ET from its original time of 6 p.m. ET. This is due to an imminent winter storm that will hit Charlotte this weekend.

SCHEDULE UPDATE: The Washington Wizards at Charlotte Hornets game on Saturday, Jan. 24 will now tip off at noon ET due to impending weather. pic.twitter.com/kwmXcxC2dM

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 23, 2026

The Charlotte area will be under freezing temperatures between Saturday night and Sunday, but will see mostly sleet and ice. The same ice storm in Charlotte will hit the Washington area Saturday night into Monday morning, mostly as snow in the first half, but sleet in the second half.

The immediate Washington area will receive about 5-10 inches of snow before sleet kicks in. Western suburbs will see closer to 12 inches of snow before sleet. So in the end, this delay is likely because of the Wizards’ need to get back home before the weather becomes treacherous.

Washington’s next game is on Tuesday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers. The winter storm will be gone by then, and it’s unlikely the game will be cancelled because of that given that it’s rare for NBA games to be postponed due to weather unless it’s on the same day and time as a storm.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/late...lotte-hornets-nba-game-status-time-adjustment

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards sign Skal Labissiere to a 10-day contract, according to report

The Washington Wizards signed Skal Labissiere to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

The Washington Wizards are signing center Skal Labissiere to a 10-day contract out of their Capital City affiliate, agent Daniel Hazan tells ESPN. Labissiere enters a sixth NBA season after being a first-round pick in 2016. He has shot 55% from field and 44% from 3 in G League.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 27, 2026

Labissiere comes to the Wizards from the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G-League affiliate, where he is playing this season. He is averaging 19.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game this season with Capital City. Labissiere was the No. 28 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, though he ultimately began his NBA career with the Sacramento Kings. He has mostly bounced in and out of the NBA and G League since beginning his professional career.

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Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/latest-news/67689/washington-wizards-skal-labissiere-signing