RSS Wizards Team Notes

[Washington Wizards]

France vs. Georgia final score: Les Bleus’ EuroBasket run ends with 80-70 loss

The France men’s national basketball team lost 80-70 to Georgia on Sunday afternoon in Riga, Latvia.

Les Bleus did not play like the favorites today. In fact, the Georgians led for nearly 32 minutes in this contest and shot 52.1 percent from the field. France shot just 35.2 percent from the field.

Tornike Shengelia and Kamar Baldwin led Georgia with 24 points each. For France, Bilal Coulibaly played 20 minutes but was scoreless. Sylvain Francisco led with 14 points.

France has made Group G of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers for Europe where they are in Group G with Belgium, Hungary and Finland. Games start this fall.

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

 

[Washington Wizards]

Mystics at Liberty final score: Washington loses season finale, 75-66

The Washington Mystics traveled to New York to face the Liberty on Tuesday night. Washington dropped its regular-season finale, 75-66.

The Mystics entered Barclays Center without much to play for, but that didn’t stop Sonia Citron from closing out her rookie season strong. The guard tallied 13 points and three assists on 5-for-12 shooting.

Washington trailed 19-12 after a low-scoring opening frame, and that theme continued into the second quarter. New York pulled ahead by double-digits to enter halftime leading 41-26.

The Mystics pulled it back a bit after the break, trimming their deficit to eight points in the third quarter before New York pulled away in the fourth to earn its 26th victory of the season.

Former Mystics forward Emma Meesseman dominated down low, finishing with 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting.

Washington finished the 2025 season 16-28 (.364) — a slight improvement over last season’s .350 winning percentage.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...al-score-washington-loses-season-finale-75-66

 

[Washington Wizards]

Serbia vs. Finland final score: Serbs eliminated in 92-86 loss

The Serbia men’s national basketball team lost to Finland, 92-86 on Saturday in the EuroBasket 2025 Round of 16. With the loss, Serbia is eliminated.

This game could have gone either way, but it began with Finland taking an early lead, though the Serbs entered halftime with a small lead themselves.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic led the Serbs with 33 points. Washington Wizards center Tristan Vukcevic did not play. For Finland, Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen led with 29 points.

The early loss in EuroBasket does not end Serbia’s hopes of getting a FIBA World Cup spot for 2027 in Qatar. All of the 24 teams in EuroBasket, along with eight teams eliminated in the EuroBasket qualifiers made the World Cup qualifiers. The group stage games begin in late November and move on through early July 2026.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/inte...finland-eurobakset-2025-mens-basketball-recap

 

[Washington Wizards]

Is Justin Champagnie the Real Deal? The Machine Gives Wizards Forward’s NBA Comps

Okay, at the end of the last article, I wrote that I’d run the Statistical Doppelganger Machine on Bilal Coulibaly, completely forgetting I’d already done it. Senior moment, I guess.

At this point, there are maybe three more players I’m interested in running through The Machine. Today, let’s talk Justin Champagnie.

For reasons that were never quite clear to me, Champagnie was not drafted. He’d been a reasonably productive player at Pitt, and I had him rated as a late first or early second rounder in YODA. Not getting drafted put him into an early career fight for opportunities, and he may have found a home with the Wizards.

He started last season on a two-way contract, made the most of chances to play, got a nice payday when the team signed him to a multi-year deal, and then continued to play well in an expanded role when they traded Kyle Kuzma. This may sound like a hot take, but Champagnie was better than Kuzma last season.

At the risk of converting that “hot take” into a scorcher, Champagnie’s 2024-24 was better than any season of Kuzma’s career.

That said, while Champagnie was pretty good last season (PPA: 114), the sample was still small enough (1,340 minutes) to still keep him in “wait and see” mode.

For those new to the series, the Statistical Doppelganger Machine takes a reference season (in this case, Champagnie last year) and compares it to every other player season since 1977-78. The Machine uses 14 box score and data categories, including age, but does not include position or height.

Here are Champagnie’s comps:

1. Santi Aldama, 2022-23, Memphis Grizzlies | Age 22 — Talented and promising forward who seems likely to get a bigger role on a retooled Grizzlies roster.
2. Patrick Patterson, 2013-14, Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors | Age 24 — Another talented forward who was much coveted by stat goobers around the league. He never translated that talent into production, primarily because he got hurt so much.
3. Donte DiVincenzo, 2019-20, Milwaukee Bucks | Age 23 — Would never have picked DiVincenzo as a comp for Champagnie, but I love it. Competitive, skilled, tough. DiVincenzo had a couple above average seasons with the Bucks (including this one) had his best season (136 PPA) with the Knicks, and then backslid a bit with Minnesota last year.
4. Oshae Brissett, 2021-22, Indiana Pacers | Age 23 — Brissett is a versatile and skilled wing, and while I think Champagnie is more forward than wing, it’s directionally the right kind of comp. Champagnie might already be better — this was Brissett’s best season (88 PPA). Champagnie posted a 114 last season.
5. Caleb Martin, 2021-22, Miami Heat | Age 26 — Another undrafted wing/forward, though a bit smaller than Champagnie and with less collegiate production.
6. Dorrell Wright, 2009-10, Miami Heat | Age 24 — Apparently, Champagnie would be a great fit for Heat Culture. That said, it never really clicked for Wright with the Heat. His best years came in Golden State and Philadelphia…starting the season after this one. By the way, I somehow missed the news that Dorell Wright’s brother is former Wizards great Delon Wright.
7. Mike Muscala, 2017-19, Atlanta Hawks | Age 26 — A jump-shooting backup center? Yeah, that’s fair. Champagnie doesn’t have the height to pretend to play in the middle, but the production patterns are somewhat similar.
8. Bruce Brown, 2020-21, Brooklyn Nets | Age 24 — This was Brown’s first year with the Nets and the best season of his career. Head coach Steve Nash had him playing a kind of “power guard” position, and Brown crashed the boards, scored inside, defended all over the place and was just generally good. Two years later, he contributed to the Denver Nuggets winning a championship.
9. Pascal Siakam, 2017-18, Toronto Raptors | Age 23 — Oh yeah, inject this into my veins! Siakam was a late first who worked hard, got better and made two All-NBA teams (second and third team, respectively). This comp season was his last coming off the bench. The following season, his production jumped to 158, and it’s stayed in the “very good” range since.
10. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, 2021-22, Oklahoma City Thunder | Age 21 — The Machine gives and The Machine takes away. Robinson-Earl seems to have some ability, but through four NBA seasons seems more of a journeyman backup…if he stays in the league at all.

Next through the Statistical Doppelganger Machine: CJ McCollum or Kris Middleton.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...-the-machine-gives-wizards-forwards-nba-comps

 

[Washington Wizards]

Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen make AP WNBA All-Rookie Team

On Friday, the Associated Press announced that Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron and forward Kiki Iriafen made the WNBA All-Rookie Team. This team honor is separate from the WNBA’s official awards.

Both Citron and Iriafen made appearances in all 44 WNBA regular season games. Both were also named All-Stars in the 2025 season.

Citron made a franchise-record 81 three pointers in the 2025 season, while averaging 14.9 points, 4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Furthermore, she made 44.5 percent of her threes and shot 47 percent from the field. Citron was also a frontrunner for rookie of the year, but the AP Rookie of the Year was Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers.

Iriafen averaged 13.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game and shot nearly 49 percent from the field. A Mystics press release noted that Iriafen is one of just seven rookies to average 12 points, 8 rebounds and shoot better than 48 percent from the field.

I am not happy with how the season ended (a 10-game losing streak). But for now, I’ll celebrate the wins that came with the 2025 season. And this is one of them. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/mystics/65210/sonia-citron-kiki-iriafen-ap-wnba-all-rookie-team

 

[Washington Wizards]

Shakira Austin wins WNBA AP Comeback Player of the Year

On Friday, the Associated Press announced that Washington Mystics center Shakira Austin was named the 2025 WNBA Comeback Player of the Year.

In the 2025 WNBA season, Austin played in 38 games, averaging 12.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. The season comes one year after she missed most of 2024 due to hip and ankle injuries.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/mystics/65207/shakira-austin-wins-wnba-ap-comeback-player-of-the-year

 

[Washington Wizards]

Kiki Iriafen’s rookie season is unprecedented in Mystics history

Earlier today, I wrote about Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron’s accomplishments in her rookie season. But she wasn’t the only rookie to turn heads. Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen is another. She also made the AP WNBA All-Rookie team in her own right. She will also likely make the All-WNBA Rookie team itself.

Here are some reasons why Iriafen’s 2025 season in Washington is one to remember on its own.

• She nearly averaged a double double: Iriafen averaged 13.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in the 2025 season while appearing in all 44 games.
• She was the first WNBA Rookie of the Month: Iriafen started out particularly hot where she averaged 13.9 points and 10.1 rebounds in May.
• Iriafen holds the single-season double-double record: Over the course of the 2025 season, Iriafen had 16 total double-doubles, which is a Mystics franchise record. Like we mentioned with Citron getting the single season scoring record, WNBA seasons are longer now, and it will simply be easier to hit certain benchmarks than in the past.
• Iriafen’s rebounding totals are just strong within the WNBA as a whole: Iriafen was third in total rebounds with 376, just behind Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (377) and Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson with 407. Iriafen was also fourth in the WNBA for rebounds per game.

Both Iriafen and Citron had very strong rookie seasons in 2025. Hopefully, we will see both of them repeat such performances in 2026 and help Washington improve in the standings.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/myst...n-wnba-rookie-season-stats-washington-mystics

 

[Washington Wizards]

Injuries and Ineffectiveness: Washington’s #SoWizards EuroBasket

I was set to write about the statistical doppelgangers of CJ McCollum or Khris Middleton, but EuroBasket is drawing to a close, and it was just about as disastrous for the Wizards as an offseason tournament could be.

EuroBasket itself was terrific. NBA stars dominated — the top 10 in total production (according to my PPA metric) are all NBA veterans. For the Wizards? Blech.

Big man Alex Sarr played well for two games…and then hurt his calf and missed the rest of the tournament. Upside: he made shots, did some work on the boards, defended, and is expected to be ready for training camp. Downside: he’s missing crucial development time while he recovers from that calf injury. And, like all the Wizards youngsters, he needs that development time.

Two-way big Tristan Vukcevich played in four games for Serbia. He wasn’t much good (61 PPA), and he got hurt — though not seriously.

His teammate — with France and the Wizards — Bilal Coulibaly hit the #SoWizards exacta. Coulibaly played poorly and sustained a torn ligament in his right thumb. His injury required surgery, and he’ll miss workout time, training camp, and part of the regular season. He can’t even work on shot mechanics because the injury is to his shooting thumb.

Blech.

Let me not be hypocritical about this. I love that NBA players play in these international tournaments. I’m glad Sarr and Coulibaly got to take part. On average, I think the national team experience is beneficial to players, especially young ones. It just sucks they got hurt.

While there are still a couple games to be played, I ran some of my usual stat tools on EuroBasket, so let’s dig in — with all the standard small sample size caveats asserted.

We’ll start with PPA, which is short for Player Production Average. PPA is my overall production metric, which includes all the standard box score stats weighted to assess their contribution to winning (or losing). Given the small sample and the paucity of workable data, I’m using an estimated PPA (ePPA), which does not include the normal accounting for role and defense.

ePPA is a per minute metric. Average is 100 and higher is better. Here’s the top 10 in per minute ePPA (minimum 75 minutes played):

1. Nikola Jokic, Serbia — 375
2. Luka Doncic, Slovenia — 321
3. Alperen Sengun, Turkey — 312
4. Franz Wagner, Germany — 277
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece — 274
6. Lauri Markkanen, Finland — 273
7. Daniel Theis, Germany — 265
8. Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania — 258
9. Tristan Da Silva, Germany — 244
10. Elie Okobo, France — 238

• Sarr: 180
• Coulibaly: 62
• Vukcevic: 61

Some former Wizards played well in EuroBasket, including:

• Deni Avdija, Israel — 205
• Davis Bertans, Latvia — 179
• Isaac Bonga, Germany — 177
• Kristaps Porzingis, Latvia — 174

The least productive player in EuroBasket was Montenegro’s Vladimir Mihailovic, who posted a -92 PPA in 94 minutes of action.

If you’re trolling the tournament for future NBA prospects, prepare to be disappointed. EuroBasket is dominated by veterans. The productive youngsters are almost all on NBA teams already. One kinda-sorta exception: Miikka Muurinen from Finland — a 6-10 18-year-old who went to high school in Phoenix, Arizona. In EuroBasket, he made shots from the field and blocked a few shots. Negatives: not great on the boards, literally zero assists, and an astronomical foul rate.

Let’s go through the Glory Stats (and a few others). As usual, I prefer per minute (well, in truth, I prefer per possession, but I digress) stats. The numbers below are per 48 minutes with a minimum of 75 minutes played.

Yes, I know FIBA games are 40 minutes long. My NBA-addled brain prefers the per 48 metric.

Usage

This is possessions used per 48 minutes instead of the usual percentage.

1. Luka Doncic, Slovenia — 39.8
2. Rokas Jokubaitis, Lithuania — 35.1
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece — 34.3
4. Lauri Markkanen, Finland — 32.3
5. Kristaps Porzingis, Latvia — 31.2

Sarr’s usage: 14.4. Coulibaly: 14.9.

• Vukcevic: 17.9
• Sarr: 14.4
• Coulibaly: 14.9
• Average: 18.0

These numbers, by the way, suggest a pace factor of about 90.0 possessions per 48 minutes.

Offensive Rating

1. Tadas Sedekerskis, Lithuania — 153 ortg | 10.0 possessions used per 48 minutes
2. Martin Krampelj, Slovenia — 152 | 14.2
3. Daniel Theis, Germany — 147 | 17.0
4. Adin Vrabac, Bosnia and Herzegovina — 145 | 10.2
5. Sasu Salin, Finland — 142 | 14.2

As would be expected, bigger and lower usage guys.

• Sarr: 138
• Coulibaly: 101
• Vukcevic: 96
• Average: 107.3

Points

1. Luka Doncic, Slovenia — 50.0
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece — 43.6
3. Lauri Markkanen, Finland — 39.69
4. Nikola Jokic, Serbia — 39.68
5. Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania — 39.0

Former Wizards greats Kristaps Porzingis (35.6) and Deni Avdija (34.9) were each in the top 10. And yes, Doncic scored 50.0 points per 48 minutes in EuroBasket.

• Sarr: 23.3
• Vukcevic: 17.8
• Coulibaly: 16.2
• Average: 19.3

Rebounds

1. Alen Omic, Slovenia — 17.4
2. Alperen Sengun, Turkey — 17.3
3. Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania — 16.6
4. Nikola Vucevic, Montenegro — 16.4
5. Daniel Theis, Germany — 16.1

• Vukcevic: 12.1
• Coulibaly: 11.1
• Sarr: 11.0
• Average: 7.9

Assists

1. Rokas Jokubaitis, Lithuania — 16.9
2. Stefan Jovic, Serbia — 16.0
3. Ondrej Sehnal, Czech Republic — 12.8
4. Arnas Velicka, Lithuania — 12.2
5. Marco Spissu, Italy — 11.3

Dennis Schroder was next at 11.1. Sengun produced 11.0 assists per 48.

• Vukcevic: 3.6
• Coulibaly: 1.3
• Sarr: 1.2
• Average: 4.7

Steals

1. Justus Hollatz, Germany — 5.1
2. Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Greece — 4.6
3. Travante Williams, Portugal — 4.5
4. Yam Madar, Israel — 4.4
5. Jaromir Bohacik, Czech Republic — 4.2

Doncic averaged 3.9.

• Coulibaly: 1.3
• Sarr: 1.2
• Vukcevic: 0.7
• Average: 1.6

Blocks

• Sarr: 2.5
• Coulibaly: 1.7
• Vukcevic: 1.4
• Average: 0.6

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/inte...ffectiveness-washingtons-sowizards-eurobasket

 

[Washington Wizards]

Sonia Citron has one of the best rookie seasons in Mystics history

Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron was named to the 2025 AP WNBA All-Rookie team yesterday. It’s a big accomplishment, and why she is one of the frontrunners to be the WNBA’s rookie of the year and a lock to make the WNBA All-Rookie team, which is a separate award. Let’s go through why.

Here are some of the things that Citron has done in the 2025 WNBA season:

• Citron holds the highest scoring season in franchise history: Citron scored 657 total points in 44 games, averaging 14.9 points per game. Admittedly, these total statistical records will be broken more often with the WNBA season being longer now since most of the Mystics’ best players in franchise history like Elena Delle Donne, Crystal Langhorne, Alana Beard and Chamique Holdsclaw had seasons where they averaged more points but scored fewer total points due to shorter season. Still, this doesn’t diminish what Citron did in 2025.
• Tied for franchise record in three pointers made: Citron made 81 three pointers in 2025, tying Ivory Latta’s mark in 2014. That mark of 81 threes is also the rookie record.
• Scoring consistency: Citron scored at least 10 points in 38 of Washington’s 44 games.
• Scoring efficiency: Citron made 47 percent of her shots, made 44.5 percent of her three pointers and 87.2 percent of her free throws. That isn’t too far from the 50-40-90 club that Delle Donne made in the 2019 season. Don’t be surprised if Citron can actually get there at some point in what should be a long and successful career.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/myst...citron-washington-mystics-wnba-rookie-records

 

[Washington Wizards]

Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen may play in Unrivaled this offseason

The 2025 WNBA season has come to an end. And now it’s time to see where Washington Mystics players may do between now and next spring.

According to multiple reports, Mystics guard Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen hae been approached by Unrivaled, a professional 3X3 women’s basketball league which is founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. Citron appears likely to play in Unrivaled this winter.

Sonia Citron says Unrivaled has reached out to her about playing this offseason. She will "most likely" be playing with them in Year 2.

— Tyler Byrum (@theTylerByrum) September 10, 2025

Meanwhile Kiki Iriafen acknowledged that she was approached by Unrivaled, but didn’t confirm whether she would play.

Kiki Iriafen said she’s been contacted by Unrivaled, but didn’t confirm she’d play. Grinned and said it’s a possibility. pic.twitter.com/L6ThmJlrEO

— Kareem Copeland (@kareemcopeland) September 10, 2025

It would be really cool to see both Citron and Iriafen play domestically this offseason. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...fen-mwashington-mystics-unrivaled-possibility

 

[Washington Wizards]

Elena Delle Donne named USA Basketball 3×3 national team managing director

On Sunday, USA Basketball named Monumental Basketball Special Advisor Elena Delle Donne to a role as their managing director of the 3X3 women’s national team.

In a press release by USA Basketball, Delle Donne said the following:

USA Basketball was an important part of my on-court career for a decade and a half. To have the opportunity to continue my journey with the organization, and to help shape and grow the 3×3 program, is something that I take very seriously. Thank you to USA Basketball for trusting me with this role. I’m excited to get started.

The USA Basketball 3X3 women’s national team won the bronze medal in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and will look to improve from that.

Delle Donne hasn’t played since 2023 for the Washington Mystics. But from looking at her post playing career so far, it’s apparent that she is looking to be a front office manager sooner rather than later. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/inte...ll-womens-3x3-national-team-managing-director

 

[Washington Wizards]

SB Nation Reacts: NBA fans care about salary cap circumvention, Aces will win 2025 WNBA championship

In this week’s SB Nation Reacts nationals survey, we went over two main questions. First, there was question asked about whether they care about salary cap circumvention in the NBA. An overwhelming majority of 88 percent of respondents believe that it’s unfair (48 percent), or that it would just make the rich richer (40 percent). This survey comes after news broke about an alleged salary cap circumvention scheme to re-sign Kawhi Leonard.

Here are this week's SB Nation Reacts survey results. pic.twitter.com/iptEJTERMC

— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) September 16, 2025

Our other question focuses on the 2025 WNBA Playoffs. In our survey, 32 percent of respondents believe the Las Vegas Aces would win the 2025 championship which would be their third in the last four years. Twenty-four percent believe the Minnesota Lynx will win it while 17 percent believe that the New York Liberty will repeat as champions.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/comm...ary-cap-circumvention-wnba-championship-picks

 

[Washington Wizards]

Jamila Wideman hints that the Mystics will not prioritize free agency in 2026

The Washington Mystics finished the 2025 WNBA season 10th in the standings, missing the playoffs, but also finishing better than what some analysts predicted before the season began.

With Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen as the team’s foundational duo, this could be a selling point to unrestricted free agents in 2026 when the WNBA’s salary cap will likely expand by a lot when a new Collective Bargaining Agreement kicks in. However, don’t expect the Mystics to prioritize bringing in new star talent that way.

According to Jenn Hatfield of The Next, Mystics General Manager Jamila Wideman said in an exit interview that next season would likely be “more of the same.” She wouldn’t say that the postseason would be a goal in 2026, but wouldn’t say that the playoffs are not a goal either. Here is a quote from Hatfield’s piece.

“Whether [next season] includes the playoffs or not, I think the important thing for us is to remember that we are building for something even bigger than that,” she said. “I think we are building with an aspiration to create a culture of competitiveness that lets us have the playoffs in our sight year in and year out. And so I think we’re one year into building that foundation, and we look forward to continuing to build next year.”

“Whether [next season] includes the playoffs or not, I think the important thing for us is to remember that we are building for something even bigger than that. I think we are building with an aspiration to create a culture of competitiveness that lets us have the playoffs in our sight year in and year out. And so I think we’re one year into building that foundation, and we look forward to continuing to build next year.”

I would agree with Wideman that developing Citron and Iriafen need to be the top priority. They have three first round draft picks for 2026. It mirrors Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger’s vision on how professional teams should be built. After all, look at how the Wizards are going nearly scorched earth on finding as many first round draft picks as possible over the last three years.

Here is where things could get interesting, though. The Mystics, unlike the Wizards, had two rookies who made the All-Star team in Wideman’s first year as GM and Winger’s first year having hands on control over the Mystics. If I were a betting man, the Mystics have a better chance of making the playoffs and being a contender than the Wizards because of that head start with Citron and Iriafen outperforming expectations.

But the Mystics also can’t just sit back and hope every draft pick outperforms expectations. Some will underperform. Also, Citron and Iriafen need to remain happy in a quickly changing WNBA. The Mystics weren’t bottom feeders in 2025 like many predicted. But after Brittney Sykes was traded to the Seattle Storm, it was clear that Winger and Wideman wanted to move full steam ahead with the Wizards plan which is still very much in its early stages.

But if the Mystics do not try to add some veteran star along with Citron and Iriafen sooner rather than later, Washington can risk making them unhappy. This offseason is supposed to be the reset that can help the Mystics accelerate AND maintain long-term success. Hopefully, that happens.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/myst...ington-mystics-wnba-free-agency-strategy-2026

 

[Washington Wizards]

The Machine’s Crystal Ball Says Middleton Has a Future…as a Valuable Bench Vet

I almost combined the Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum statistical doppelgangers because…well…they’re pretty similar themselves. Not in terms of production, but rather in terms of career stage and status with the Wizards.

Like McCollum, Middleton was a bit better than average last season…when he could stay on the floor. Like McCollum, odds are he’ll be around average again next season, though he’s at an age where a sudden and steep decline is normal. One difference: Middleton’s history of serious injuries increases his risk of a production drop-off.

Like McCollum, he’ll be gone when the season ends (or sooner), unless he’s willing to be a veteran mentor at around the league minimum. And, like McCollum, that wouldn’t be a bad thing — he’s well respected and probably has much to teach Washington’s youngsters.

So, where does that leave the Wizards? With an aging wing who used to be pretty good, but who’s now playing out the age/injury-related decline portion of his career. Which is perfectly normal for a rebuilding team.

And, the Wizards got paid a first round pick and wriggled out of multiple years of Kyle Kuzma to get him, which a) was a good bit of business by Will Dawkins, and b) is pretty normal for a rebuilding team.

My version of the Statistical Doppelganger Machine uses 14 categories including box score stats and age. I don’t use height or position, though players tend to get comps from the same position group.

Middleton’s comps are interesting. They’re all good — or at least had a few good years — and they’re all 30+ years old. While they had their time as starters, at this stage of their careers, they were coming off the bench. Which is to say: Middleton probably has genuine value as a reserve on a good team. Here’s the group:

1. Terry Porter, 1997-98, Minnesota Timberwolves | Age 34 — Porter was a great point guard and instrumental in getting his first team — the Portland Trail Blazers — to the NBA Finals. His peak PPA was 211, and he had seasons of 180 and 160, as well. He defied the age-related decline. His production had dipped below average in his final year in Portland (age 31) and then again in his second year with Minnesota (age 33). This season was the start of four consecutive above average seasons from ages 34 to 37 — most of them coming off the bench.
2. Dana Barros, 1997-98, Boston Celtics | Age 30 — Barros was a little guy (just 5-11) who could really play. His best season rated a 172 PPA (age 27). This was his second-to-last above average season, but he was a decent contributor to age 34 and appeared in a game at 36.
3. Toni Kukoc, 2002-03, Milwaukee Bucks | Age 34 — This was the last above average season for Kukco, who made his mark as a superb role player with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and the the Chicago Bulls.
4. Jon Barry, 2002-03, Detroit Pistons | Age 33 — Barry was a below average player for his first six NBA seasons, then abruptly got better at age 29. From 29 to 34 (seven seasons), he had fives seasons that rated average or better, and he just missed at 35. He retired after his age 36 season.
5. Danny Ainge, 1990-91, Portland Trail Blazers | Age 31 — Decent role-playing guard who had nine seasons that rated average or better in my PPA metric with a 143 peak at age 29 with the Sacramento Kings. This was Ainge’s last 100+ season in PPA, though he played four more years.
6. Bobby Jackson, 2006-07, New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets | Age 33 — My memory of Jackson is that he was feisty, competitive, and pretty good. He mostly came off the bench throughout his career, and was pretty good for a bench player. I have him with three seasons that rated average or better — his best was a 139. He lasted one more season after this comp year.
7. Rudy Gay, 2019-20, San Antonio Spurs | Age 33 — The idea of Gay was always better than the actual player, though he was still pretty good. His last above-average season was a 135 PPA at age 32, which also happened to be the highest rated season of his career. He played until age 36 — below average in each of his last four seasons.
8. Eric Piatkowski, 2002-03, Los Angeles Clippers | Age 32 — Good shooter without a ton of dimension to his game. His peak was a 121 PPA at age 31, and he played until age 37 (though severely limited over his final three seasons).
9. Manu Ginobili, 2013-14, San Antonio Spurs | Age 36 — One of my all-time favorite players for his all-around game and willingness to blend with other great players. Ginobili is the first player I remember seeing Euro-step with any regularity. I have him with three seasons with a 200+ PPA (208 peak at age 27) and three more that rated 180 or better. Just to level set this, John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Gilbert Arenas all had peak PPAs in the 160s. Ginobili had seven seasons that rated as good or better than the best season posted by any of that trio. By this season, he was in decline, but he played to age 40.
10. Derrick Rose, 2021-22, New York Knicks | Age 33 — Super promising youngster who was the youngest player to ever win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award (though he probably would have been seventh or eighth on my ballot). His career got wrecked by multiple injuries that forced him to miss major chunks of games for basically the rest of his career. This might sound familiar: when he could stay on the court, Rose was a solid contributor off the bench right through the 26 games he managed in this age 33 season. He retired at 35 after a couple more injury-riddled campaigns.

Next up: An analytics-driven 2024 Redraft.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...middleton-has-a-futureas-a-valuable-bench-vet

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards add Sharife Cooper on two-way deal

The Washington Wizards signed guard Sharife Cooper to a two-way contract, the team announced Friday.

The Washington Wizards have made the following roster moves, the team announced today:

• Signed guard Sharife Cooper to a two-way contract

• Signed guard Keshon Gilbert and forward Jonathan Pierre to Exhibit 10 contracts

— Wizards PR (@WizPRStats) September 19, 2025

Cooper, 24, was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 48 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and spent three seasons in the G League before spending last season playing overseas.

The 6-foot-1 guard spent the 2023-24 season with the Cleveland Charge. He averaged 19.3 points and 8.0 assists while shooting 37.2% from 3-point range.

The Wizards have signed Sharife Cooper to a two-way contract, the team announced.

Cooper was a second-round pick in 2021 out of Auburn and spent three years in the G League.

Washington also signed Keshon Gilbert & Jonathan Pierre to exhibit-10 deals. Both are likely Go-Go guys. pic.twitter.com/2HhX23aahU

— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) September 19, 2025

Cooper fills Washington’s final two-way spot, joining Tristan Vukcevic and Jamir Watkins.

The Wizards also announced the signings of Keshon Gilbert and Jonathan Pierre on Exhibit-1o contracts. Both Gilbert and Pierre played on Washington’s Summer League squad and will join the team for training camp, which begins Sept. 29.

Players who sign Exhibit-10 deals get a $75k bonus if they later sign with that team’s G-League affiliate, so look for Pierre and Gilbert to join the Go-Go this season.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...98/wizards-add-sharife-cooper-on-two-way-deal

 

[Washington Wizards]

Here is why the Wizards aren’t starting training camp within a week

The 2025-26 NBA season is quickly approaching. We are less than a month away from the Washington Wizards’ first preseason game at home against the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 12 and just a little over one month away from their first regular season game on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 22.

But some teams: the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns may start media days or reporting days as early as Sept. 23 and training camps could begin as early as Sept. 24. For other teams, including the Wizards, training camps and media days start on Sept. 29. Why is this the case?

It’s because the Knicks and 76ers will play in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Oct. 2 and 4; the Pelicans will play NBL teams on Oct. 3 and 5; the Nets and Suns will play in Macao on Oct. 10 and 12. These games will all be held outside of North America, so given the jet lag, it makes sense to allow players extra time to adjust while abroad.

I do like seeing preseason games played abroad, so there is piqued interest in the NBA worldwide. But I also don’t mind seeing the Wizards have a conventional preseason before the 82-game grind begins in just over a month.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/late...izards-still-one-week-away-from-training-camp

 

[Washington Wizards]

2024 Redraft: Now With Actual Evidence (Sort Of)

Redrafts are an interesting and useful exercise when assessing an NBA draft class. The basic question is simple: knowing what we now know based on however many years of NBA play, would we make the same decision today that talent evaluators made on that draft day.

Today, let’s dig into the 2024 draft, which yielded the Washington Wizards the following:

• 2nd overall: Alex Sarr
• 14th overall: Bub Carrington
• 24th overall: Kyshawn George

Later in the 2024-24 offseason, they traded for 23rd overall selection AJ Johnson, and in the offseason acquired Dillon Jones, who was the 26th overall pick.

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The fun thing about redrafts — especially after a single season — is that many of the same factors apply. We have actual NBA information, but we’re still trying to assess potential. What’s a guy’s ceiling? How likely is he to reach it? And does the player we’re looking at fit within the team context?

As it does on draft day, age matters. My PPA metric says Zach Edey was the most productive rookie on a per possession basis. He was efficient on offense (+8.3 per 100 possessions relative to average), rebounded effectively, and was probably around neutral on defense. He was also 22, which while young in real life, is on the old side for a modern NBA prospect. He doesn’t have the highest upside.

Regular readers know that I’m a believer in statistical analysis. When it comes to guessing at the futures of players this young, it has its limits. For example Yves Missi, Kel’el Ware and Donovan Clingan were three of the four rookies (the other was Edey) who rated average or better in my PPA metric last season. A straight numerical forecast would predict stardom for the trio.

Watching them suggests something different. Clingan, Ware and Missi were raw. They were productive in part because of their lack of skill, and they limited their offensive repertoire mostly to shots within three feet of the basket. They may be hard workers, and they might improve their all-around skills enough to contribute more on the offensive end, but it’s difficult to envision any of them developing sufficiently as an offensive threat to become stars.

In other words, redrafting this group isn’t as simple as sorting by PPA or even total production. There’s still a process of reconciling what I see in the numbers with what I saw on the floor during the regular season.

The 2024 NBA (Re)Draft​

1. Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks | ACTUAL: 1 — I know. Mind blown right? The guy who actually went number one goes number one in a redraft? Look, I had my doubts about Risacher pre-draft. My stat-based evaluation tool (YODA) had him rated as a late first or early second. But a) he was pretty good as a rookie, and b) he was just 19 years old. Kid has major upside and stays at the top spot.
2. Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards | ACTUAL: 2 — I promise this exercise won’t just be chalk. I heard that others doing redrafts {cough: Sam Vecenie: cough} didn’t have Sarr in the top 10. That doesn’t make much sense. Sarr’s 77 PPA was below average but not bad at all for a 19-year-old, he showed significant defensive flashes, and there’s at least a vision for how he could become an impactful offensive player despite terrible efficiency. If we’re betting on upsides, Sarr’s is probably the second highest in this draft.
3. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs | ACTUAL: 4 — Castle won Rookie of the Year for the usual reason players get the award — he led the class in points per game. He did that by guzzling possessions (26.8% usage rate) inefficiently (more than -10 relative ortg). His 78 PPA was almost identical to Sarr’s, and he was a year older. Even though Sarr’s efficiency was even worse (-16 relative ortg), I think it’s reasonable to think he could peak higher than Castle.
4. Jared McCain, Philadelphia 76ers | ACTUAL: 16 — Got off to an impressive start (93 PPA at age 20 is good) and then got hurt and missed the rest of the season. I almost picked him third ahead of Castle. If McCain had maintained his level of play and not suffered an injury, he probably would have been ROY.
5. Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies | ACTUAL: 39 — Strong rookie season from a second round selection. Even if he tops out around as an average starter (which is about what I’d expect), he was a great value at 39.
6. Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls | ACTUAL: 11 — Good size and mobility with NBA skills and a competitive personality.
7. Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers | ACTUAL: 7 — Edey was better (at least in my eyes) as a rookie, but Clingan made a defensive impact as a 20-year-old rookie and has the size and physical tools to dominate at that end. If he can set screens, grab offensive boards and dunk on the offensive end, it’ll be good enough.
8. Kel’el Ware, Miami Heat | ACTUAL: 15 — Rim-running, defending, rebounding big man with good athletic tools. I strongly considered slotting Missi and Edey ahead of him, in part because of the critical comments his coach made about him during the offseason. Still, the production was solid, and there’s good reason to think his upside is higher than the other two.
9. Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans | ACTUAL: 21 — Rim-running, defending, rebounding big man. I’d take arguments for Ware or Edey ahead of him.
10. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies | ACTUAL: 9 — Massive human being who’s also a skilled basketball player. With Edey, the question — and the reason he lands “only” tenth — is whether he has the mobility to survive defensively in high stakes games. My guess is that he’ll be too limited to thrive in the playoffs, but that he’ll have a long career as a regular season “innings eater” if his team can construct the roster properly.
11. Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns | ACTUAL: 28 — Probably won’t shoot well enough to win a major role, but he’ll stick around as a defensive specialist until his athleticism wanes.
12. Kyle Filipowski, Utah Jazz | ACTUAL 32 — Yeah, another center. There’s a case for Filipowski to go ahead of all the other centers, even possibly Clingan. Good passer, good all-around skills. Might be a career backup, but that’s not bad at 12. Or 32.
13. Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards | ACTUAL: 14 — Kinda surprised myself because while I liked Carrington, I wasn’t exactly blown away by his rookie year performance. He’s 13th in this redraft because of combination of the overall weakness of the draft and my skepticism of picking 23+ year olds this high. If Carrington works on his body and his game, his competitiveness could make him a strong third guard or a decent starter.
14. Justin Edwards, Philadelphia 76ers | ACTUAL: Undrafted — Edwards was decent as a rookie (73 PPA) and might make a decent 8th or 9th many someday. I’m not exactly overwhelmed by his potential, but a) this draft really is weak, and b) a rotation player at 14 isn’t a terrible result.
15. Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers | ACTUAL 17: For an older rookie (23 last season), his performance was kinda meh (78 PPA), but he’s probably a good enough shooter to fill a regular season role for a few years.

Honorable Mentions

• Quinten Post, Golden State Warriors | ACTUAL: 52 — Decent, low-minute season for a 24-year-old rookie.
• Adem Bona, Philadephia 76ers | ACTUAL: 41
• Kyshawn George, Washington Wizards | ACTUAL: 24 — Would likely go higher in a redraft.
• Ron Holland, Detroit Pistons | ACTUAL: 5 — Rough rookie season, and I think he’s likely to lose playing time to better teammates.
• Ja’Kobe Walter, Toronto Raptors | ACTUAL: 19

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...2024-redraft-now-with-actual-evidence-sort-of

 

[Washington Wizards]

Sonia Citron finishes as runner-up in WNBA Rookie of the Year race

Paige Bueckers was named WNBA Rookie of the Year this morning, with the Washington Mystics’ Sonia Citron finishing the race as the runner-up.

Of the 72 voters for the award, Citron was the only player besides Bueckers to receive any at all. Citron grabbed two votes to disrupt Bueckers’ near-unanimous campaign.

Snatching a couple of votes away from Bueckers, who recently wrapped up one of the greatest rookie seasons in WNBA history, is no small feat. Citron posted 14.9 points per game on shooting splits of 47.0%/44.5%/87.2% — impressive numbers for any WNBA player, let alone a rookie. She was also named an All-Star alongside fellow rookie teammate Kiki Iriafen.

The Mystics with Citron as their best player (or Brittney Sykes during the first half of the season) were fighting for a low-seeded playoff berth before dropping 10 straight games to ultimately wind up watching the playoffs from home on the couch.

Bueckers’ Dallas Wings had it worse, though, finishing tied with the actively-imploding Chicago Sky for the worst record in the WNBA. They crossed the double-digit wins threshold on the final day of the season.

Looking ahead, the Citron-Iriafen-Shakira Austin duo looks to be the Mystics’ core of the future, alongside Georgia Amoore, who is set to debut next season after recovering from her torn ACL. Ancillary pieces like Jade Melbourne and Sug Sutton complete a roster that should compete for the playoffs next season.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/myst...paige-bueckers-wnba-rookie-of-the-year-voting

 

[Washington Wizards]

McCollum’s Doppelgängers: Good Company, But the Clock Is Ticking

CJ McCollum comes to the Washington Wizards and gets a trip through the Statistical Doppelganger Machine

There are only two players remaining on the roster whose statistical doppelgangers interest me much: CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton. Today, we’ll run McCollum through the Statistical Doppelganger Machine.

McCollum was a little better than average when he could stay on the court. He managed 56 games. Odds are, he’ll probably be around average again, though he’s at an age where a sudden and steep decline is normal. Improvement is unlikely.

When the season ends (if not sooner) he’ll be gone, unless he’s willing to stick around as an assistant coaches in uniform mentor making a lot less. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing — he’s well respected and probably has much to teach Washington’s youngsters. That said, he’ll probably make more money and be able to have a meaningful role on a good team trying to win something.

For those new to the doppelganger series, here’s the sum up:

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Weary of player comps based on superficial traits like height, build, perceived athleticism, nationality, and skin color, I joined the legion* of stat goobers in constructing an algorithm that uses statistics to generate players with similar production patterns.

Editor’s Note: A legion consisted of 5,000 to 6,000 soldiers. This “legion” Kevin mentions is maybe 10 people, which makes it more like a modern squad.

My version uses 14 categories including box score stats and age. I don’t use height or position, though players tend to get comps from the same position group.

For McCollum, who was 33 last season, the Machine spits out guards who could shoot and a non-rebounding forward who could shoot.

1. Jordan Clarkson, 2022-23, Utah Jazz | Age 30 — Decent bench scorer. McCollum had the better career and has aged better.
2. Klay Thompson, 2022-23, Golden State Warriors | Age 32 — All-time shooter (one of The Splash Brothers with Steph Curry) who returned from Achilles and ACL tears better than could have been expected. This was his first full season back from those injuries.
3. Jamal Crawford, 2013-14, Los Angeles Clippers | Age 33 — Sixth Man extraordinaire. I’d argue McCollum was the better player. Crawford played a full schedule until age 38!
4. Jason Terry, 2008-09, Dallas Mavericks | Age 31 — Pretty comparable to McCollum with comparable peaks (both in the 160s). Terry had better fortune in teammates and roster construction.
5. Bojan Bogdanovic, 2023-24, Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks | Age 34 — Bogdanovic was a forward and much bigger than McCollum, though it’s fair to say he didn’t play much bigger — especially in his age and injury-related to decline.
6. Klay Thompson, 2023-24, Golden State Warriors | Age 33 — See #2, above.
7. Terry Rozier, 2022-23, Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat | Age 28 — Good player in his prime (peak PPA: 162) the season before this one. In this one, his PPA was 103. He bounced back somewhat the following season, and then cratered last year for the Heat.
8. Jamal Crawford, 2009-10, Atlanta Hawks | Age 29 — See #3, above.
9. Kemba Walker, 2020-21, Boston Celtics | Age 30 — Superb small guard with a peak PPA of 172 and multiple seasons in the 160s. His descent was fast — 166 PPA at age 29 in Boston followed by a 140 (this season), following by a 116 with the Knicks. He was out of the league at 32 after just nine games with Dallas.
10. J.J. Redick, 2018-19, Philadelphia 76ers | Age 34 — Great movement shooter who didn’t really hit his NBA stride until his late 20s. He peaked at 31 and remained an above average player until injuries and age caught up with him at 35 and 36.

So, a mix of very good players in decline and decent players who aged well.

Next up: Khris Middleton.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...gangers-good-company-but-the-clock-is-ticking

 

[Washington Wizards]

Kara Lawson named USA Basketball women’s national team coach through 2028

On Monday, USA Basketball announced that Duke University women’s basketball head coach Kara Lawson was named the 2025-2028 women’s national team head coach which will include the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Germany and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Lawson already coached Team USA in the 2025 Women’s AmeriCup, where the Americans won the Gold Medal.

Lawson of course isn’t just the Duke women’s basketball coach. She was a long time WNBA player and spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the Washington Mystics. She was also the TV color analyst for the Washington Wizards for two years with Steve Buckhantz from 2017-19. After leaving the Wizards, Lawson spent one year as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics.

It’s early to say whether the Mystics will have representation on Team USA. The Olympics are still three years away. But it’s cool to see that Team USA will have a head coach who has direct ties to a team right here in the DMV.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/inte...-lawson-team-usa-womens-basketball-head-coach