RSS Wizards Team Notes

[Washington Wizards]

Recap: Mystics finish on a 12-2 run to beat the Aces, 70-68

Brittney Sykes led the Washington Mystics to their 10th win of the season. | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

The Mystics are getting into strong midseason form.

It was a defensive battle, and the Mystics trailed most of the way, but they closed on a 12-2 run to beat the Las Vegas Aces, 70-68.

Sonia Citron and Shakira Austin were the offensive engines in the fourth quarter. Citron overcame a rough outing to score six points in the final 10 minutes. She finished the game with nine points on 2-10 shooting.

Austin scored six of her 16 points and grabbed six of her eight rebounds in just seven minutes of action in the final period.

Britney Sykes pumped in 18 points — including the pair of free throws with 4.1 seconds to play that capped Washington’s comeback.

Kiki Iriafen had 12 points on 4-4 shooting from the floor, as well as eight rebounds.

For the Aces, Jewell Loyd led with 20 points. Chelsea Gray was arguably Las Vegas’ top performer with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and 3 blocks. Dana Evans chipped in 11 off the bench in a losing cause.

When I mentioned a defensive battle earlier, I meant it. Washington’s offensive rating (points scored per possession x 100) was 88. Seattle’s was 86. League average this season: 104.3. The teams shot a combined 5-36 (13.8%) from three-point range.

With the win, Washington moves to seventh place.

Next up for the Mystics — a matchup with Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams, and Nneka Ogwumike of the Seattle Storm. (Yes, I almost typed Supersonics.)

It’ll also be a chance to catch up with former Mystics forward Alysha Clark, who signed with Seattle in the offseason. Clark has played 10 of her 13 professional seasons with the Storm.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025...nish-on-a-12-2-run-to-beat-the-las-vegas-aces

 

[Washington Wizards]

SB Nation Reacts: Analyzing what other NBA teams’ fanbases are thinking this summer

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

This week, we’ll take a look at whether you agree or disagree with some team survey results.

In this week’s SB Nation Reacts post, I didn’t have a Washington Wizards specfic survey. That was because I am on vacation the next couple of weeks. And that’s why I haven’t been writing as NBA Summer League is going on.

I looked at some team surveys from other sites and I just wanted to see what your take is on from a couple sites.

Here are some of the SB Nation Reacts surveys that other teams had. We’ll over them later this morning. pic.twitter.com/Q2BTrL0c35

— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) July 12, 2025​

At Mavs Moneyball, our Dallas Mavericks site, 84 percent of fans believe their team will make the playoffs this season. Now that Cooper Flagg is on the team along with Anthony Davis and a recent signing in D’Anelo Russell, that’s reason for their fans to be optimistic. In the 2024-25 season, the Mavericks made the postseason but were eliminated in the play-in tournament.

I was intrigued by two questions from Fear the Sword, our Cleveland Cavaliers site. One question asked which Eastern Conference team worries their fans the most. The New York Knicks had 54 percent of the vote and that wasn’t unsurprising. The Orlando Magic (27 percent) and Atlanta Hawks (9 percent) were after that. I get that the Indiana Pacers lost Tyrese Halliburton for 2025-26, but I would also think that they wouldn’t be … a doormat either.

The Cavaliers, who were the top team in the Eastern Conference regular season standings in 2024-25, also have an uneasy fanbase given that they lost in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. A significant portion, 40 percent, also believe that the team needs to make one more big trade to feel confident about another deep playoff run.

I’ll get up an SB Nation Reacts survey next week for us specifically. But in the meantime, feel free to chat about some of these results in the comments below.

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FanDuel is an SB Nation/Vox Media partner.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025...nalyzing-dallas-mavericks-cleveland-mavericks

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards vs. Nets preview: Washington looks to bounce back against Brooklyn

Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images

Game No. 2 in Vegas.

The Washington Wizards take on the Brooklyn Nets in their second 2025 Summer League contest scheduled for Sunday.

Game Info​

When: Sunday, July 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET

Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV

How to Watch: League Pass

The Wizards will try to shake off their SL-opening loss to the Phoenix Suns, which featured some promising individual performances, but not much in the way of team success.

Washington has, at least on paper, one of the most stacked Summer League rosters in the league. Seven first-round picks from the last two drafts took the court for the Wiz on Sunday.

Kyshawn George asserted himself with a team-high 24 points on 10/18 shooting. He stuffed the stat sheet with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.

No. 6 pick Tre Johnson flashed his scoring potential to the tune of 18 points on an efficient 7/13 clip, with some of those baskets coming with a very high degree of difficulty.

Bub Carrington and No. 21 pick Will Riley both had rough outings in the opener, shooting a combined 3/15 from the field.

The Nets’ Summer League team features two 2025 lottery picks in No. 8 Egor Demin and No. 12 Noa Essengue. But it was elder statesman Drew Timme who led Brooklyn in scoring with 22 points in their opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025/7/12/24466614/washington-wizards-brooklyn-nets-nba-game-preview

 

[Washington Wizards]

NBA Summer League recap: Wizards outlast Nets in 102-96 thriller

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

That was fun.

The Washington Wizards got their first 2025 NBA Summer League win Sunday with a 102-96 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at the Thomas & Mack Center.

No. 6 overall pick Tre Johnson picked up right where he left off from Friday’s game. He scored 10 of the Wizards’ first 12 points in another demonstration of his high-level bucket-getting abilities.

Tre Johnson is on fire to start the game

10 points on 4/5 FG and 2/3 3PT

Also shows off the playmaking ability with a sharp cross court pass:
pic.twitter.com/61o7sNwg2g

— DC Rising (@DC__Rising) July 14, 2025​

We saw both the good and the bad from Johnson in that first half, as he went 0/2 from both the field and the free throw line in the second quarter. The Nets’ defense keyed in on Johnson in the second period, which led to the youngster forcing things a little bit.

Alex Sarr had an impactful first half. He posted 12 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks at the break with both teams tied at 50.

Washington came out of halftime with some fire, scoring the first 10 points of the third quarter. The good guys carried a five points lead into an eventful final period, which had a little bit of everything Wizards fans would’ve wanted to see.

AJ Johnson had a poster dunk. Will Riley had a good sequence with an in-motion triple followed by an and-one finish. Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George each had clutch buckets in the final two minutes. Sarr had Nets players second-guessing themselves with his rim protection. And finally, Tre Johnson iced the game at the free throw line to seal a six-point win.

The Texas alum scored 21 points on an efficient 7-11 shooting. While he had some offensive blinders on at times, he looked comfortable with the ball in his hands down the stretch and drew multiple fouls.

Sarr looked like the Summer League DPOY with his eight blocks to go along with his 16 points and 12 rebounds. Edit: Sarr broke the single-game record for most blocks in Summer League history (Thanks, Max Zamphirescu).

Alex Sarr now has 8 blocks. Here’s one of the three he’s had in the final three minutes of the 4th. pic.twitter.com/I5D2lCd1so

— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) July 14, 2025​

Alex Sarr tonight pic.twitter.com/upbvwUEuXQ

— Matt (@sixringsofsteeI) July 14, 2025​

Carrington and Riley combined for 33 points on 10-13 shooting. George struggled with his shot (4-16) but once again filled the stat sheet with 10 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and five steals.

Next for the Wizards is a Tuesday tilt against Philadelphia 76ers and No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe, whose status remains up in the air due to a thumb injury.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025/7/13/24467158/washington-wizards-brooklyn-nets-nba-summer-league

 

[Washington Wizards]

Recap: Mystics beat Storm, 74-69

Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images

The Mystics are also above .500 again and have a three game win streak.

The Washington Mystics defeated the Seattle Storm on Sunday night 74-69. The win gets the Mystics to an 11-10 record which brings them back above 500 and at the No. 7 seed in the playoff picture. Furthermore, this is a big win against a higher seated opponent since Seattle fell to 13-9 and is the No. 4 seed in the WNBA standings.

If you only watched this contest through the end of the third quarter, you would probably think that the Mystics were going to lose. They shot under 29 percent from the field and finished the period behind 55-47.

However, Washington came roaring back in the fourth quarter as Brittney Sykes scored 11 of her 19 points, and the Mystics shot nearly 69 percent from the field. The Storm shot just 29.4 percent. The 27-14 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter was also more than enough to give the Mystics a big win over a possible playoff opponent.

In addition to Sykes, Sonia Citron added 17 more points. Kiki Iriafen had a double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

For Seattle. Ezi Magbegor led with 19 points and Nneka Ogwumike added 16 more.

The Mystics’ next game is on Tuesday on the road again the Los Angeles Sparks. It is also their last game before the All-Star break. Tip off is at 10 p.m.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/myst...hington-mystics-seattle-storm-wnba-game-recap

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards vs. 76ers preview: Washington hunts for second SL win against Philly

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Alex Sarr and co. get back to work.

The Washington Wizards take on the Philadelphia 76ers in their third 2025 Summer League contest scheduled for Tuesday.

Game Info​

When: Tuesday, July 15 at 8:00 p.m. ET

Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV

How to Watch: NBA TV, League Pass

Washington is riding high after snagging its first SL win Sunday over the Brooklyn Nets. Virtually all of the Wizards’ youngsters played well in the 102-96 contest.

Alex Sarr led the way defensively with a Summer-League-record eight blocks on top of his 16 points and 12 rebounds. Tre Johnson stayed sizzling-hot offensively with 21 points on 7/11 shooting.

The Wizards take on a winless Sixers squad that may not have prized rookie VJ Edgecombe available. The No. 3 overall pick is nursing a thumb injury that could derail the first-ever VJ-Tre clash in the pros.

Aside from Edgecombe, Philadelphia’s roster features incoming sophomores Adem Bona and Justin Edwards.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025...-philadelphia-76ers-nba-summer-league-preview

 

[Washington Wizards]

NBA Summer League recap: Wizards offense MIA in 74-58 loss to 76ers

Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images

This was an ugly one.

Offense was optional Tuesday in the Washington Wizards’ 74-58 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in their 2025 NBA Summer League matchup at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Missing most of its main weapons, the Wizards could not find any reliable source of scoring in the contest.

Washington got off to a promising 9-0 start after Liam Robbins hit a couple of threes early. Eight of the Wizards’ first nine shots were from distance, with the team going 4/8 in those attempts.

The hot shooting proved to be unsustainable as the Wiz went 2/22 from three the rest of the way. The only thing that kept Washington in the game was how ice-cold the Sixers also were from the field. The two teams combined to shoot 45/133 (33.8%).

AJ Johnson was suddenly thrust into the first-option role. He also struggled with his outside shot, going 1/7 from deep. But he still found ways to score a game-high 20 points on a 7/20 clip. He also had a few tough-luck misses on layups right at the rim.

Johnson was Washington’s lone source of offense in the fourth quarter. He put up all 11 of the Wizards’ points as the 76ers ran away with it late.

Jamir Watkins, who looked very raw offensively, was able to flash his immense defensive potential. He had several pick-six steals that led to easy transition points. He tied a Summer League record with eight swipes to go along with his 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, and three blocks.

Watkins also did an excellent job defending No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe. The Sixers rookie had an inefficient night, going 4/14 for 15 points.

The Wizards face the Utah Jazz next in a back-to-back scheduled for Wednesday.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025...-wizards-philadelphia-76ers-nba-summer-league

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards vs. Jazz preview: Washington tries to keep Utah winless in Vegas

Photo by Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images

The Jazz are deceptively stacked for a 0-3 team.

The Washington Wizards face off against the Utah Jazz in their fourth 2025 Summer League contest scheduled for Wednesday.

Game Info​

When: Wednesday, July 16 at 10:00 p.m. ET

Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV

How to Watch: League Pass

The Wizards’ heavy hitters are fresh from a day off as the team takes on the Jazz on the second night of a back-to-back.

Washington showed what it’s capable of at full strength in Sunday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets. Alex Sarr imposed his will on the defensive end in that contest with his Summer-League-record eight blocks.

Sarr faces a tall task Wednesday in his matchup against fellow second-year center Kyle Filipowski, whose 29.3 points per game average leads Vegas in scoring. The Jazz roster also features 2024 first-round picks Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier.

The Jazz’s two first-round picks this season both have some loose ties to the Wiz. Utah selected Ace Bailey fifth overall, despite several reports projecting him to end up in Washington. Bailey’s status for the contest — and his first showdown with Tre Johnson — remains up in the air due to a hip flexor injury. Bailey has yet to play in Vegas through his team’s first three games.

Utah acquired No. 18 overall pick Walter Clayton Jr. in the deal that allowed Washington to draft Will Riley (21st pick) and Jamir Watkins (43rd pick). Clayton had a strong Vegas debut with 21 points, but has missed the last two games because of a hamstring issue.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025...n-wizards-utah-jazz-nba-summer-league-preview

 

[Washington Wizards]

Serbia vs. Estonia preview: Tristan Vukcevic begins EuroBasket play on Wednesday

The Serbia men’s national team plays Estonia on Wednesday in EuroBasket 2025. Here is the preview:

Game Info​

When: Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 2:15 p.m. ET

Where: Arena Riga, Riga, Latvia

How to watch: Stream on Courtside 1891

What to watch for​

The Serbians are the second-ranked team in the world. They will kick off their group stage games in Group A against Estonia, the No. 43 ranked team in the world. Needless to say, Serbia is the runaway favorite.

The Serbians are led by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, but Washington Wizards fans will be looking at Tristan Vukcevic. He’ll play a supporting role to Jokic, but that’s how it works when an NBA MVP is there. The Estonians do not have NBA players, but Henri Drell has experience palying for the Chicago Bulls in the 2023-24 season. Let’s see how the Serbians and Estonians take care of business tomorrow!

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/international-basketball/64959/serbia-estonia-eurobasket-preview

 

[Washington Wizards]

Mystics vs. Aces final score: Washington loses, 91-81

The Washington Mystics lost 91-81 to the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday afternoon at home at CareFirst Arena. Washington falls to 16-21 while Las Vegas improves to 24-14.

The Mystics started strong with a 26-19 lead in the first quarter. But rom there, the Aces had a dominant second quarter and gradually kept expanding the lead after that.

For Washington, Kiki Iriafen led with 21 points and 15 rebounds while Shakir Austin added 18 points and Sonia Citron added 13 more. For the Aces, A’ja Wilson scored 37 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

The Mystics’ next game is tomorrow against the Seattle Storm. It’s a home game at 3 p.m. ET. See you then.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...ington-mystics-las-vegas-aces-wnba-game-recap

 

[Washington Wizards]

Mystics vs. Storm preview: Washington hosts Seattle for second end of back-to-back

The Washington Mystics host the Seattle Storm on Sunday afternoon. Here is the preview.

Game info​

When: Sunday, Aug. 24 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: CareFirst Arena, Washington, DC

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network

Injury report: For the Mystics, Jacy Sheldon (ankle) and Georgia Amoore (knee) are out. For the Storm, Katie Lou Samuelson is out.

Game notes​

Tomorrow, the Mystics will welcome back Brittney Sykes, who began the season with them but got traded midseason because, well, Michael Winger prefers tanking even if it means hurting the Mystics’ hopes for being a perennial contender starting in 2026 — MY opinion of course.

All that said, the Storm are currently the No. 7 seed in the WNBA playoff standings. If the Mystics can pull the upset off the perhaps the end of this season will be a bit more interesting than anticipated.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/myst...ngton-mystics-seattle-storm-wnba-game-preview

 

[Washington Wizards]

The Machine Points Upward: Bub Carrington’s Optimistic Stat Comps

Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington

After a trip through guesstimating old-time NBA stats, we now return to a Bullets Forever August tradition: running players through my Statistical Doppelganger Machine.

The Machine compares a reference seasons to all the other player seasons through NBA history across 14 stat categories including age, playing time, box score stats (pace adjusted), and PPA (my overall production metric). The idea here is to identify players with similar on-court production while moving beyond superficial traits like size, perceived athleticism, or skin color.

Let’s turn to today’s “reference season” — the rookie year of Bub Carrington.

I won’t rehash what I wrote about Carrington back in May. The TLDR:

At times, Carrington looked great. At others…well…not so great. But, he was the 14th pick in the draft, and he’s just 20 years old. His 59 PPA indicates he was well below average last season, which is perfectly normal for any rookie, and especially normal for a teenager.

Also, he was inconsistent, which is perfectly normal for a teenaged rookie.

Carrington’s was relatively strong getting defensive rebounds and generating assists while avoiding turnovers. His offensive efficiency was poor — a bit more than 10 points per possessions below league average. Again, that’s fine for a teenaged rookie. It’s something that should improve as he physically matures and gains NBA experience.

The Machine’s results are a fairly optimistic underscore of how “normal” Carrington’s rookie year was. Here we go:

1. Kevin Huerter, Atlanta Hawks, 2018-19 — This was Huerter’s rookie year, and it was pretty good (PPA: 71). His production crept up to around average until he got traded to the Sacramento Kings where it jumped to 132 (in PPA, average is 100 and higher is better) in his age 24 season (2022-23). Since then, his performance dipped as he dealt with regular injuries.
2. Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers, 2018-19 — This was year two for Ball, and I consider this a highly optimistic comp. He was a) good, and b) improving before his career got wrecked by repeated injuries. He’s a bit bigger than Carrington (6-6 vs. 6-4), but the Wizards would be fortunate if Carrington can be as good as Ball and stay healthy.
3. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs, 2001-02 — Yes, this is the 19-year-old rookie season of the guy who became an elite guard and was a key driver of several Spurs championship teams. Parker’s rookie season was more impressive than Carrington’s (still a below average 80 PPA) but the pattern of production is similar.
4. Luther Head, Houston Rockets, 2005-06 — Head was a 23-year-old rookie in this season, and it was reasonably promising (PPA: 77). He hit exactly average (100) the following season, posted a 90 PPA in year three, and then…his career fizzled.
5. Theo Maledon, Oklahoma City Thunder, 2020-21 — Teenage rookie who played badly (PPA: 37). He got a little better in years two and three, but his NBA career never really launched. He was out of the NBA last season and will be again next season.
6. Andrew Nembhard, Indiana Pacers, 2022-23 — This season was Nembhard’s rookie year (age 23), and it was decent. He improved each of the past two seasons, and was an important part of the Indiana Pacers’ unexpected run to the Finals last season. He should have the opportunity to expand his game next season while Tyrese Haliburton recovers from a torn Achilles.
7. Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics, 2017-18 — This was actually Smart’s fourth season (age 23), and it was the worst of his career. His production jumped the following season, and his overall production was above average each of the next four seasons. His best season was a 120 PPA in 2021-22, which was also the year he was named Defensive Player of the Year.
8. Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers, 2016-17 — Ingram is kinda the poster boy of not taking a teenager’s rookie year too seriously. He was terrible (PPA: 34). He got better and hit a career-best 142 in 2020-21. His PPA has been above 120 for each of the past five seasons.
9. Lance Stephenson, Indiana Pacers, 2012-13 — This was Stephenson’s third season and was one of his two “good” seasons — 95 PPA in 2012-13, and 116 in 2013-14. Then he left for Charlotte, and his production cratered.
10. Nik Stauskas, Philadelphia 76ers, 2016-17 — Third season for Stuaskas, who was unproductive for The Process Sixers. Seriously, he had three consecutive seasons with a 50 PPA, two with Philly, one with the Brooklyn Nets. Carrington was a better NBA player at 19 than Stauskas was at 25.

Let me know in the comments who you want to see run through The Machine next.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...-upward-bub-carringtons-optimistic-stat-comps

 

[Washington Wizards]

Mystics vs. Storm final score: Washington loses 84-82

The Washington Mystics lost to the Seattle Storm, 84-82 on Sunday afternoon at CareFirst Arena in Washington.

If you watched this game in the beginning and then turned the TV off for your own sanity, I don’t blame you. Washington was behind 28-19 after the first quarter. But they did claw back every period after that. Ultimately, this was a legitimate contest that could have gone either way. But still, Washington is putting in the final touches for another lottery finish — a finish that could still keep them away from getting a top pick. But then again, that may very well be what the front office wants, right?

Former Mystics star Brittney Sykes (is it still a crime to call her a “former Mystics star”?) scored 10 points in her first game back in Congress Heights. Nneka Ogwumike led Seattle with 30 points.

For the Mystics, Shakira Austin led with 30 points, while Sonia Citron added 14 more.

The Mystics’ next game is on Thursday against the New York Liberty on the road. Tip off is at 7 p.m. ET. See you then.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...hington-mystics-seattle-storm-wnba-game-recap

 

[Washington Wizards]

Mystics at Liberty preview: Washington looks to beat second seed in the East

The Washington Mystics will visit the New York Liberty tomorrow evening. Here’s the preview:

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Game Info​

When: Thursday, August 28 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Barclays Arena, Brooklyn, NY

How to Watch: Prime Video

Injuries​

Mystics: Georgia Amoore, Jacy Sheldon (Out)

Liberty: Isabelle Harrison, Natasha Cloud, Nyara Sabally (Out)

Pregame notes​

The Washington Mystics will face the New York Liberty for a Thursday evening game.

The Mystics are coming with a somewhat disappointing 3-9 record in their last dozen games, and are currently on a 4-game losing streak. It will be very tough to get a win against the Liberty, especially on the road. The Liberty are an impressive 14-5 at home in Barclays Center.

The Liberty are suffering though from several injuries, including former Mystics guard Natasha Cloud, and are only 2-5 in their last 7 games. Also, former Mystics star forward Emma Meesseman signed with New York after Women’s EuroBasket (and yes, men’s EuroBasket is going on now but I digress) — and she has played about as well as she ever has in the WNBA.

Washington is actually shooting relatively well from beyond the arc this season, at 33.8 percent (good for 5th in the WNBA). The Liberty on the other hand are at 35.5 in that category (good for 3rd in the WNBA). What the Mystics are not good at this year though is offense overall — sitting at 4th from the bottom at only 78.7 points per contest. For comparison, the Liberty are shooting 7 (!) points more per game (at 85.7 per game).

And, by the way, the final score of the game between the two teams back in June was exactly… 78—86! Like our own Kevin Broom would say, stats don’t lie!

The game will very likely be a tough one!

Here the highlights from Washington’s and New York’s game a couple months ago:

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/mystics/64944/washington-mystics-new-york-liberty-wnba-game-preview

 

[Washington Wizards]

SB Nation Reacts: What are your takes on France’s chances in EuroBasket and the Mystics’ recent trades?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Wizards fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

This week, EuroBasket 2025 will begin. We have a question regarding how far you see the France men’s national basketball team going in the tournament. In addition, the Washington Mystics made some recent trades. Were they the right decision? Answer those questions in the survey below!


We will share the results by this weekend!

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/comm...ington-wizards-mystics-survey-eurobasket-2024

 

[Washington Wizards]

France vs. Belgium preview: Les Bleus play the Lions on Thursday

The France men’s national basketball team plays Belgium on Thursday in EuroBasket 2025. Here is the preview:

Game Info​

When: Thursday, Aug. 28 at 11 a.m. ET

Where: Spodek Arena, Katowice, Poland

How to watch: Stream on Courtside 1891

What to watch for​

France is the fourth ranked team in the world in men’s basketball and the defending Olympic silver medalists from the 2024 Olympic games. Now, Les Bleus will begin their EuroBasket journey with a match against their northern neighbors.

We have written a lot about Belgium over the years on Bullets Forever. But it has almost entirely been about their top tier women’s national basketball team, led by now-New York Liberty forward Emma Meesseman (and a former Washington Mystics star) and coached by former Mystics General Manager and Head Coach Mike Thibault.

In this post, we are instead focusing on the men’s team from Belgium, known as the Lions, not the Cats. Belgium is the No. 40 ranked team in the world and is the strongest team from the Benelux, which includes the Netherlands (the Olympic gold medalists for 3X3) and Luxembourg. But without any NBA players, the Lions will be underdogs, not like a Cats vs. Bleues battle on the women’s side.

The Wizards also have two key players in Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr on Les Bleus. Expect both to have significant roles for France. It would be nice to see Wizards players win an international medal before the 2025-26 NBA season gets underway!

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/inte...ce-belgium-eurobasket-mens-basketball-preview

 

[Washington Wizards]

Serbia vs. Estonia final score: Serbians dominate in 98-64 win

The Serbia men’s national basketball team defeated Estonia 98-64 in EuroBasket on Wednesday evening.

As you might have guessed, the Serbians, being one of the top teams in the world, made easy work of the Estonians. In fact, they never trailed in this game. In fract, the lead was always by at least 20 points from the third quarter on.

Also, Serbia shot 61 percent from the field and 44 percent from three. Estonia performed poorly in comparison.

Washington Wizards center Tristan Vukcevic scored 9 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in 21 minutes of action in the game. In addition, Nikola Jokic scored 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting while also dishing 5 assists in just under 16 minutes.

For Estonia, Henri Drell led with 11 points.

The Serbians’ next game is on Friday against Portugal. Tip-off is at 2:15 p.m. ET. See you then.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/inte...rbia-estonia-mens-basketball-eurobasket-recap

 

[Washington Wizards]

Kyshawn George doppelgangers: From “Who?” to “Hmm, Interesting…”

Kyshawn George, Washington’s third rookie last season, had a classic up and down season. His performance went through major peaks and valleys — at times, pretty good and just godawful at others.

As I wrote back in May:

He’s the one youngster who actually lived the narrative of improvement as the season wore on. From that 34 PPA at the end of January, George finished the season with a 53 PPA, which included a 104 PPA over his final 20 games.

Reminder: In PPA, 100 is average and higher is better. Replacement level is 45.

George’s name recently popped up on the Hollinger and Duncan podcast where John Hollinger and Nate Duncan discussed the respect Wizards coaches reportedly had for his defense in the latter part of the season. Better defensive metrics have him as basically a neutral defender, which isn’t bad for a rookie — especially when playing for the defense-challenged Wizards.

The combination of his overall performance and his status as a relatively older rookie (age 21) was not particularly promising. That said, I’m a big believer in the theory that young players (and 21 is still young!) control their NBA destiny to the extent that they’re willing or able to work.

Today’s exercise isn’t to rehash that article from May, but to run him through the Statistical Doppelganger Machine, look at the comparable player seasons The Machine spits out and see what — if anything — it might tell us about George.

The Statistical Doppelganger Machine takes a reference seasons (in this case, George’s rookie year) and compares it to every other player season since 1977-78. The Machine uses 14 pieces of information, including age and per possession box score stats. Despite height and position not being factors, players usually get stat comps from the same position group. In George’s case, the position range is somewhat wider — I classified him as a wing, but he arguably has the size to play forward and the skills to play guard in today’s NBA.

The Doppelgangers​

1. Stanley Johnson, Detroit Pistons, 2017-18, age: 21 — This was Johnson’s third season. He’d been the eighth overall pick in 2015, and his career never launched. He languished as a well-below average bit player for several seasons and was out of the league after his age 26 season.
2. Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves, 2021-22, age: 21 — Now we’re talking. This was year two for McDaniels, and while it was a little better than his rookie year, it still wasn’t good. McDaniels hasn’t become a consistent shooter, but he has developed into a top-shelf defender and key contributor to Minnesota’s post-season runs.
3. Josh Hart, Los Angeles Lakers, 2018-19, age: 23 — Hart’s second season, which was also the worst of his career. He’s gone through some shooting struggles, but he’s made himself into a quality player by doing all the dirty work good teams need done — without ever seeming to get tired. This one feels the most “about right” to me.
4. Nik Stauskas, Philadelphia 76ers, 2015-16, age: 22 — Interesting prospect who had the misfortune of playing for The Process Sixers.
5. Kevin Huerter, Atlanta Hawks, 2018-19, age: 20 — Kinda okay as a rookie, Huerter seemed to his stride when he got traded to the Sacramento Kings before his fifth season, and then kinda fizzled and kept getting hurt.
6. Landy Shamet, Los Angeles Clippers, 2019-20, age: 22 — The Wizards hope not. This is not a knock on Shamet, who plays hard and seemed to be an excellent teammate when he was in Washington. He’s just…not very good — consistently below average — and he struggles to stay on the court because of frequent injuries.
7. Wesley Johnson, MIN, 2010-11, age: 23 — Another “hope not.” For those too young to remember, Johnson was the fourth overall selection in the 2010 draft, and…well…he’s kind of a poster child for the power of being a high draft pick. He lasted nine seasons despite none of them being much good. He peaked with an 81 PPA at age 26, and then faded from there.
8. Deni Avdija, Washington Wizards, age: 21 — This was year two for Avdija, and the Wizards hope George follows a similar path. Avdija has improved every season of his career, and hit a career high 131 PPA last season.
9. Cam Reddish, Atlanta Hawks, 2019-20, age: 20 — Highly touted prospect who was not good at Duke, got drafted 10th overall anyway, and has been not too good. His peak season (so far): a 70 PPA in 2021-22, which is when the Hawks gave up on him. They did a challenge trade, sending Reddish and a first round pick to the New York Knicks for Solomon Hill and Kevin Knox. A year later, the Knicks dealt him to the Portland Trail Blazers in the four-team deal that netted them Josh Hart.
10. Trenton Hassell, Chicago Bulls, 2001-02, age: 22 — The 30th overall selection, Hassell stuck around for nine seasons as a defensive specialist during the NBA’s dead-ball era. In 2003-04, he started 74 games and played 2,264 total minutes with a 9.4% usage rate. I don’t believe a player like this could survive in today’s NBA. At minimum, he’d need to shoot better than 31.8% on threes.

Overall, these comps feel about right — some pretty good role players and some end-of-the-rotation types who stuck around for a few years by working hard.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...rge-doppelgangers-from-who-to-hmm-interesting

 

[Washington Wizards]

France vs. Belgium final score: Les Bleus overwhelm the Lions in 92-64 win

The France men’s national basketball team defeated Belgium 92-64 in their Group D contest for EuroBasket 2025 in Katowice, Poland.

Les Bleus was the overwhelming favorite in this game. They took care of the Lions early so this wasn’t a contest. So as Washington Wizards fans, the bigger goal is to see how the Wizards players on Les Bleus did. The French weren’t draining many three poitners in this game (just 8-of-28). However, they made 26-of-29 free throws which helped make the margin of victory as large as it was.

Bilal Coulibaly got the start for France and scored 12 points. Alex Sarr added 7 points off the bench.

For the Lions, Hans Vanwijn scored 13 points to lead Belgium. Ismael Bako added 11 more.

Les Bleus will play Slovenia next on Saturday. Tipoff is at 11 a.m. ET. See you then!

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/inte...belgium-eurobasket-2025-mens-basketball-recap

 

[Washington Wizards]

Serbia vs. Portugal preview: Serbians continue EuroBasket group play on Friday

The Serbia men’s national team plays Portugal in EuroBasket 2025 on Friday. Here is the preview:

Game Info​

When: Friday, Aug. 29 at 2:15 p.m. ET

Where: Arena Riga, Riga, Latvia

How to watch: Stream on Courtside 1891

What to watch for​

The Serbians are looking to get to 2-0 after beating Estonia yesterday. Washington Wizards center Tristan Vukcevic had a strong debut in the tournament, scoring 9 points and grabbing 7 rebounds in 21 minutes of action. Portugal is the No. 56 team in men’s basketball. If there is a game where Vukcevic could have a big statistical performance, this one could be it. We shall see on Friday afternoon!

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/inte...tugal-eurobasket-2025-mens-basketball-preview