News Wizards Team Notes

[Washington Wizards]

In “Best Chance to Win,” Wizards Collect 11th Straight Loss

Sure, the Wizards lost by 23 to a Brooklyn Nets squad sporting an identical 1-11 record, but it marked a resounding success — Washington snapped a six-game streak of allowing opponents at least 12 offensive rebounds, and a two-game streak giving up at least 20 offensive boards. This is the stuff dreams are made of.

I jest — ChatGPT tells me dreams are made of neural noise, memory fragments, emotional residue, and your brain’s best attempt to make sense of all that chaos. Why does that feel like ChatGPT is sub-tweeting this year’s Wizards?

So, I’ll take the blame for this one. I wrote a check-up article for yesterday that lauded the play of Alex Sarr and gestured at hope the rest of the team would get better. In grand #SoWizards tradition, Sarr played his worst game of the season, and the Wizards could not contain the NBA’s 24th ranked offense.

In what figured to be one of their better chances to get a win, they lost by 23. Their next opportunity to get blown out by a bad team is Nov. 28 at the Indiana Pacers. The Wizards have other chances to get blown out but those will be against good or mediocre teams, not one of the league’s worst. Plan accordingly.

Thougts & Observations​

• Kyshawn George had a strong overall game — 29 points with a 124 offensive rating (almost +9 relative to league average). He also fouled out for the third time in 12 games played this season. He’s had five or more fouls 9 times, and 4 or more in 11 games. At the risk of getting too technical, that’s too much.
• Sarr has played well so far this season, but was ineffective last night against Brooklyn. He joined George in fouling out.
• Bilal Coulibaly returned to the starting lineup after missing four games with some muscle tightness. He shot just 2-6, but contributed some rebounds, assists, and steals.
• CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton weren’t bad, I guess.
• Michael Porter Jr. played like a man trying to convince contending teams to trade for him — 34 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists. I’m sure he’d love to see Wizards defenders more often.

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	NETS	WIZARDS	LGAVG
eFG%	63.9%	51.2%	54.3%
OREB%	18.9%	7.5%	26.4%
TOV%	14.1%	10.1%	13.3%
FTM/FGA	0.354	0.238	0.227
PACE	99	100.5
ORTG	130	107	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	+/-
Kyshawn George	32	66	124	34.6%	1.9	141	-15
CJ McCollum	32	67	126	19.9%	1.4	129	0
Khris Middleton	27	57	139	17.7%	2.4	128	3
Bilal Coulibaly	28	57	112	12.5%	-0.3	103	-1
Bub Carrington	20	42	119	12.0%	0.2	105	-25
Corey Kispert	15	31	95	10.6%	-0.7	54	-8
Cam Whitmore	13	27	101	23.3%	-1.0	46	-13
Marvin Bagley III	17	35	82	15.6%	-1.8	-5	-6
Alex Sarr	23	48	80	22.1%	-3.8	-41	-2
Tre Johnson	17	35	61	25.3%	-4.9	-110	-25
Tristan Vukcevic	7	14	81	14.3%	-0.7	70	-8
Justin Champagnie	7	13	108	25.9%	-0.3	38	-15
AJ Johnson	3	6	0	14.7%	-1.0	-95	0

NETS	MIN	POSS	ORTG	USG	+PTS	PPA	+/-
Michael Porter Jr.	34	70	149	31.0%	7.2	264	17
Tyrese Martin	26	54	146	24.1%	4.0	296	26
Nic Claxton	30	63	147	21.3%	4.2	202	14
Noah Clowney	30	62	128	12.3%	1.0	107	16
Ziaire Williams	30	62	132	13.7%	1.4	77	13
Egor Demin	20	41	119	15.4%	0.2	102	-3
Terance Mann	29	60	106	18.4%	-1.1	66	10
Drake Powell	19	39	95	15.4%	-1.2	80	13
Day’Ron Sharpe	16	32	109	21.5%	-0.5	64	9
Jalen Wilson	2	5	302	16.0%	1.4	522	0
Tyson Etienne	2	5	101	48.0%	-0.3	0	0
E.J. Liddell	2	5	0	32.0%	-1.7	0	0

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...nce-to-win-wizards-collect-11th-straight-loss

 

[Washington Wizards]

Brian Keefe will NOT be fired just because the Wizards are bad this season

So, the Washington Wizards have the worst record in the NBA this season at 1-12 (tied with the Indiana Pacers) after losing to the Brooklyn Nets last night. It isn’t that the Wizards lost to the Nets. It’s also that the Nets had a then-identical 1-10 record as the Wizards yesterday. They also were humiliated on their home court by another bad team.

So you start seeing X posts like these where fans are laying out the pitchforks, demanding that Head Coach Brian Keefe be fired.

We need to fire Keefe. I’m afraid we are stunting our young guys more than developing them. Some of the habits this team has is disgusting pic.twitter.com/ej4XiT2etn

— PlayoffWAS (@PlayoffWAS) November 17, 2025

We’re getting crushed by a team that’s horrible just like us!!

Brian Keefe do not have a good hold on this young squad. They need somebody to really coach and relate to them. That can get to them. He’s not it!! #Wizards #FireKeefe

— JJ Childs (@BigSargeJJ) November 17, 2025

Brian Keefe gotta go… I get you wanna keep him for the tank but guys aren’t developing properly..

— wizkidsforever (@wizkidsforever) November 17, 2025

And furthermore, the players had one of those notable … players only meetings in the locker room. Josh Robbins of the Athletic reported this last night.

The Wizards' players had a players-only meeting in their locker room after tonight's loss to the Nets, Kyshawn George said.

— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) November 17, 2025

So, first, is Keefe’s job on the line? And should he lose his job?

First, there is no indication that Keefe is on thin ice. He was hired to lead a team that is built to lose games in the hopes that a franchise savior is drafted in a year or two or … five. In short, Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger and General Manager Will Dawkins are content with the Wizards tanking for awhile. Hell, Winger and Mystics General Manager Jamila Wideman even dismantled the Mystics right before the most critical offseason in WNBA history, and EVEN when there were three All-Stars on the team and they were in the playoff hunt.

Right now, Monumental Basketball’s philosophy is something to the effect of “we rebuild from the ground up by any means necessary.”

So in short, Keefe will NOT be fired because the Wizards are losing games, even to other bad teams. And since Keefe has some deeper connections with Monumental Basketball brass, he’ll be fine for a while.

It’s not happening folks. Brian Keefe isn’t getting fired. Not by fellow OKC alumni Will Dawkins and Michael Winger.

The #Wizards have the 2nd youngest roster in the NBA. They will lose and lose. They will give the 2023-24 #Pistons a run for their money with this losing streak! https://t.co/AFpDSl5I42

— Faisal Hassan (@Faazzla) November 17, 2025

So what are the reasons WHY Keefe would be fired in 2025-26?

Consider any notable HR scandal and its underlying causes. We’re talking about things like corporate stealing, being deeply involved in the NBA betting scandal (ex. Chauncey Billups’ days with the Portland Trail Blazers are definitely numbered) or office misconduct like harassment (ex. the NWSL firing and giving lifetime bans to several team coaches a few years ago). But again, there is no evidence of Keefe being accused of these things. So unless something crazy comes up, Keefe is staying this season, period.

Leading a bad team where management more or less wants the team to be bad in the standings is NOT going to get the coach fired in the short term.

At some point, Winger and Dawkins will have expectations for the Wizards to win more than … five games a year. Ted Leonsis will get impatient too. But until then, as Wizards fans, we’re in for a lot of Groundhog Days.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...n-keefe-should-he-be-fired-washington-wizards

 

[Washington Wizards]

The Wizards’ players-only meeting happened after Brian Keefe’s postgame remarks

The Washington Wizards are on an 11-game losing streak, and things are looking pessimistic. And some want head coach Brian Keefe fired. But we know that’s not happening.

When players hold players-only meetings, there seems to be an insinuation that something isn’t going right. Something along the lines of the head coach “losing the locker room.” Joshua Robbins of The Athletic provided more context on when the players-only meeting took place. It happened directly after Keefe gave his postgame remarks.

“We buckled to the adversity,” coach Brian Keefe said. “We fouled when we shouldn’t. We didn’t dig in when they made certain runs. This group has never done that. That was disappointing on all of our end. We have to own that. But that was the thing that was bothering me the most, is that after the initial start of the game, which I thought we came out with a necessary mindset and attitude, once we got hit, we didn’t respond well.”

It was a bad enough performance that, after Keefe spoke to the team following the final buzzer, the Wizards held a players-only meeting in their locker room.

“We needed that talk, I think,” Coulibaly said afterward. “The guys just stepped up, the vets, the guys that have been used to winning. That’s what we’re trying to do here in the next year. So they had to talk to us, and they did a great job about this and everybody was listening.”

No one is exactly sure what was said in the meeting itself, but it seems like sometimes, players-only meetings are just that. A reinforcement about what a team’s expectations are. It’s not necessarily some plot to get the coach fired or emasculated.

Anyway, what are your thoughts on this meeting? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/late...-happened-after-brian-keefes-postgame-remarks

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards at Timberwolves preview: Washington looks to end 11 game losing streak on Wednesday

The Washington Wizards play the Minnesota Timberwolves tomorrow night. Let’s get to it.

Game info​

When: Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network

Injuries: For the Wizards, Alex Sarr is day-to-day. For the Timberwolves, Terrence Shannon is out, and Jaden McDaniels is day-to-day.

What to watch for​

The Wizards are looking to snap an 11-game losing streak. Every NBA team player, coach, and their mother and their ancestors know that the Wizards want to win more than they do. However, I think we all know that the Wizards aren’t winning most of their games this season. That said, an 11-game losing streak is a lot, right? Maybe the Wolves will be a little complacent tomorrow at home and look like … Washington did last Sunday?

Hey, it can happen!

Minnesota is currently sixth in the Western Conference with a 9-5 record coming off a win against the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 17. Let’s see if Washington can catch Minnesota off guard.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...zards-minnesota-timberwolves-nba-game-preveiw

 

[Washington Wizards]

Are the Wizards “too good” at tanking?

The last couple days have been a little trying for Washington Wizards fans. Sure, none of us expected to see the Wizards winning most of their games in the 2025-26 NBA season. But when is the effort to tank going to well?

Yesterday, I wrote on the same topic. But I’ll link to another article from earlier this week by Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. There are additional insights into the circumstances surrounding the players-only meeting that followed the Wizards’ blowout loss to the Brooklyn Nets last Sunday. From Shankar’s piece:

This loss felt different — and despite the coaches’ denials, it seems as if it was at least partially because of the opponent. Center Alex Sarr said the issues struck the team more after Sunday’s loss because it was a game Washington should have won; asked why, he pointed to the Nets’ record. Sarr also said the coaching staff was not a topic of discussion during the players-only meeting.

Asked about Keefe’s postgame message, forward Kyshawn George said: “Look at yourself in the mirror and answer the deeper questions. It’s more than basketball. What do you really want in life? What do you want to build? What do we want to do here as an organization? Just make sure you answer the question correctly and come up with the correct mindset the next day.”

As an organization, the Wizards want to build a long term contender through the NBA Draft. But to get prime draft position, the Wizards (or any team with such goals) will construct teams that are built to lose games in the short term. Players and coaches do not want to lose games and it takes a toll on them at some point. Still, I’d say that if the Wizards can be resilient and win their fair share of games for the rest of this season, then maybe we as fans will see at least some of the current players be part of Washington’s next playoff team and beyond. But if they are buckling regularly this season, then this rebuild will last longer than what the front office believes.

So do I think the Wizards are “too good” at tanking? No. Not yet. But losing endlessly won’t guarantee a franchise savior at some point.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...21/washington-wizards-tanking-losing-concerns

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards at Timberwolves: Washington loses battle in Minnesota, 120-109

The Washington Wizards saw their comeback efforts fall short on Wednesday in a 120-109 road loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center.

The Wizards followed a similar script in the first quarter. The Wiz Kids hung tough against a superior opponent, trading baskets and leads early. Cam Whitmore punctuated the quarter with a couple of And-1 finishes at the rim.

SHEEEEEESH CAM pic.twitter.com/COXfZWKMqC

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 20, 2025

The game, as has also been usually scripted, unraveled in the second quarter. Washington failed to score a single point until the six-minute mark of the period, as a CJ McCollum finger roll mercifully put an end to a 16-o onslaught to start the second.

Turnovers, a familiar adversary in the Wizards’ season-long struggle, doomed D.C. in the first half. Washington committed 12 turnovers, leading to 20 Minnesota points, while failing to score a single point off the Timberwolves’ two turnovers. Naz Reid by himself outscored the Wiz 18-17 in the quarter to give the T-Wolves a 71-46 lead at the break.

Brian Keefe more than likely had a stirring message at halftime, as the Wizards came out motivated in the third quarter. They forced more turnovers (3) in the first couple of minutes of the third than they did in the entire first half (2). The post-break Wiz began the quarter on a 17-4 run to make it a ballgame.

Kyshawn George left his fingerprints all over the floor in the third. The second-year wing scored 12 points and dished out three assists in the period, closing out the quarter with an isolation fadeaway jumper to get Washington within 94-82.

Ky to close out Q3 pic.twitter.com/Xw7Ykl8ewm

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 20, 2025

The Wizards had a chance to get within three as George headed to the free-throw line with 3:52 left in the game. But Kyshawn missed both attempts, and Mike Conley Jr. hit a three-pointer to swing the game back the other way. The Timberwolves held on for the 11-point victory.

The glass-half-full take on the contest is that the Wizards refused to roll over. After falling behind by as many as 27 points, Washington could have coasted the rest of the way, but instead battled to make things interesting down the stretch. Nonetheless, the final result dealt Washington its 12th straight loss.

With no Alex Sarr in this one, George led the way with 23 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Bilal Coulibaly, Khris Middleton, and Whitmore each had 13, while Tre Johnson tacked on 10 points off the bench.

The Wizards continue their road trip on Friday against the surging Toronto Raptors.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...-washington-loses-battle-in-minnesota-120-109

 

[Washington Wizards]

The Wizards Podcast: Wizards show improved effort but lose 12th straight

The Wizards lost their 12th straight game, but their improved effort was noticeable. Greg Finberg recapped a near-27-point comeback against the Timberwolves, highlighted the impressive play of Kyshawn George and discussed Tristan Vukcevic’s poor defense. Enjoy!

View Link

Watch on YouTube:

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...s-show-improved-effort-but-lose-12th-straight

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards at Raptors preview: Washington travels to Canada for NBA Cup

If you’re feeling like the Washington Wizards haven’t won in a month, you’re right! If the Wizards lose yet again, their 13-game losing streak will span a full 30 days. i

Game Info​

When: Friday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: ScotiaBank Arena, Toronto, Canada

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network

Injury Report​

Wizards: Alex Sarr (day-to-day, toe), Marvin Bagley III (day-to-day, hip contusion).

Raptors: Collin Murray-Boyles (out, knee).

Pregame notes​

• Winless in NBA Cup play — The Wizards are the only team in the NBA to have never won NBA Cup game. Their all-time Cup record is 0-9.
• Bonus NBA Cup Fact — At -112, the Wizards have the worst cumulative scoring differential in NBA Cup play.
• A tale of two rebuilds — The Raptors and the Wizards have been rebuilding the past few years. The Raptors have made a quicker turnaround. This season they are playing (very) surprisingly (very) well! They have won 9 of their last 10 games and are sitting at 10-5 after 15 games. The Wizards are on a 12-game losing skid.
• Not all gloom — The Wizards have promising young pieces and a one or two trade chips (CJ McCollum might bring back a first-rounder).

Flashback: Double OT in the Arena​

Several years ago, while D.C. was snowed in, those who managed to make it to the game saw a fantastic showdown with Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Beal and a double-OT nail-biter.

It’s perhaps nice to watch again:

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash...view-washington-travels-to-canada-for-nba-cup

 

[Washington Wizards]

Wizards possibly down two centers vs. Toronto

The Washington Wizards have listed Alex Sarr (left big toe soreness) as questionable for Friday’s game against the Toronto Raptors. Sarr missed Wednesday’s 120-109 loss with the same injury.

Additionally, Marvin Bagley III (right hip contusion) is listed as doubtful. Bagley briefly left Wednesday’s game but later returned.

The Wizards have listed Alex Sarr (left big toe soreness) as questionable for Friday’s game against Toronto.

Marvin Bagley III (right hip contusion) is listed as doubtful.

That possibly leaves Tristan Vukcevic as the team’s lone healthy big. Not ideal. pic.twitter.com/JtHsmKlOrf

— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) November 20, 2025

If Sarr and Bagley miss Friday’s game, Tristan Vukcevic would be Washington’s lone big man. The 7-footer has flashed offensive potential in sporadic minutes this season but has also struggled on the defensive end. Vukcevic scored seven points on 2-for-8 shooting and was a -24 in 20 minutes against the Timberwolves.

Anthony Gill, Washington’s veteran power forward, is also an option in the frontcourt. Brian Keefe has experimented with Gill as a small-ball five in recent years.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/wash.../wizards-possibly-down-two-centers-vs-toronto