https://x.com/joshuabrobbins/status/2115511438341185737?s=46&t=bqDocN33sQmOz6S1Po7Ygg

The wait is over, AJ will play his first regular season game as a member of the Wizards tonight!!
https://x.com/shamscharania/status/2115477462343729222?s=46

Per Josh Robbins:

Dybantsa will be on a minutes restriction, a team official said.

If coach Brian Keefe uses the same starting lineup he used during the preseason, Dybantsa will be in Washington’s starting five alongside Trae Young, Kyshawn George, Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr.

Meanwhile, the Wizards are bracing for the possibility that wing Justin Champagnie, a key contributor in their first three regular-season games, will miss extended time after he suffered a right foot injury during the Wizards’ loss Monday in Charlotte. Champagnie did not attend the team’s shootaround in Cleveland.

Story: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7732354/2026/10/28/aj-dybantsa-wizards-injury-nba-debut/

This was the starting lineup the last time the Wizards beat the Cavs on Dec. 30, 2021 😳

It’s been 1,763 days and 16 straight losses…

Could the losing streak finally end tonight⁉️

Good wizards bar in dc to watch the debut? Preferably a place with sound playing

First and foremost, it is refreshing to be able to watch truly competitive basketball again, featuring this tormented franchise. The last times I can relate to this:

• Fun 13-7 in Oct/Nov 2021 driven by guys mostly in their primes before the wheels fell off in early December.
• A surprising and inspiring 12-8 in March 2021, 8-6 in April with some moments in round one with Rui, Deni, and Gafford all young players that contributed. But mostly the Russ show and it was a 34 win team.
• Before that....April 2018 tied at 2-2 in round one going back to Toronto with the core that should have had at least a couple of years left together. And that was it.

Us fans have been stuck in the abyss for a long time. I've seen hot takes the last couple of days saying that the Wiz haven't played a good game yet. I'd disagree with that premise. They were competing well in the losses and both wins were finished strong. There are a lot of positives! We should have a lot of hope for now and for the future. Winning games, especially in the most competitive Eastern Conference seen in....twenty years? is not supposed to be easy. There will be growing pains. There have to be.

Here are a few observations I've had:

1. AD and Trae are as advertised. There were so many questions about both of these guys coming in. Very very positive so far for both of them. They seem bought in and ready to continue strong play.
   • Trae has quickly pushed back against skeptics. He has been an offensive engine, isn't turning it over like he did in the preseason and is showing he can still score. The foul baiting has helped of course but I don't see a huge loss in quickness that some thought was apparent.
   • AD looks like a potential All NBA player again. The type of player that contenders will fight over at the deadline if the Wiz aren't in the play-in mix. His efficiency is lacking right now but I expect (hope) that as the offense learns how to play together more that he won't have to work as hard and will reduce the volume of jumpers some, leading to higher percentages.
2. I've liked what Tre Johnson has shown. He looks a lot more like the player from pre All Star Break last season and his inside the arc bag seems better. I've seen more defensive intensity and ability from him too. I think it's pretty likely that the long term starting forwards in DC are Dybantsa and Kyshawn. This version of Tre can start at the two and his offensive skills really fit.
3. Kyshawn is mostly positive. Over 6'8 with his skillset and versatility - that's hard to find. The turnovers and fouls are obviously areas in dire need of improvement. I mostly attribute the turnovers to figuring out how to play with this very different group and to carrying maybe too heavy a load with Trae off the floor. But it was a concern before this year too. The fouls....are a pretty major issue and the Wiz might face a lot of difficulty with he and AJD as the main perimeter defenders. It's a lot to ask for them to guard the Donovan Mitchell, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Haliburton types.
4. Bilal is confounding. 2.8 three point attempts per game ain't gonna cut it. There's a role and future here if he shows more but the three balls at least have to go up. Not extending may look smart.
   
5. Bub has impressed me. Similar to Johnson, he's showing a lot more on defense. He came into the league as a mid range merchant -- him extending out to three so well has been a nice development. He is playing hard, making the right plays, earning mins.
6. Justin Champagnie is a rotation player here until minimum 2030.

Some suggestions that have come to mind:

1. AD is carrying too heavy of a load. It lines up with his historical norms but 33mpg seems like too many for a guy turning 34 in March. His usage percentage is too high too. Plus, it's easy to see why he gets hurt so often. Jumping into traffic a lot, hits the deck frequently. Reasons why he is a hall of a famer -- he plays very hard. But it would be mutually beneficial to scale him back a little. Keep him healthy, fresh, and have something closer to an egalitarian offense with all of these mouths to feed. Especially with two other capable bigs that are very much in the background currently. On that point...
2. DeAndre Ayton should play more. 14mpg when Sarr is on a mins limit seems light. I've liked what I've seen -- great finishing and screening, solid rim protection, running the floor, toughness inside, good rebounding on both ends. He is playing hard and can help this team more. I expect given his reputation that there will be a time to cut his minutes back. Doesn't seem like now should be the time.
3. Khris Middleton has to shoot threes and assert himself more to play. He's still capable in my eyes. He just looks so old lol. He's only attempted two threes in 41 minutes. I realize he's not a high volume shooter but he shouldn't play if he's not helping to space or be aggressive when he gets the ball. He's just been out there for the most part thus far. I agree with him playing right now, and he skipped the preseason so he's easing in, but he needs to pick it up or he should be out of the rotation in the next couple of weeks.
4. Backup lead ball handler shouldn't be handed to Ky yet. He is rightly the leader for the role and deserves the most reps but I think some others deserve a chance at it. Bub particularly profiles as a combo guard -- right now he's a shooting specialist shooting guard. I expect his on ball play looks a lot better compared to his first two years with the improved talent surrounding him. Ky has so much on his plate already with a heavy defensive load too. I like giving him reps but a game like Toronto with nine turnovers should be a thing of the past and the leash can't be that long.

Sounds like AJ Dybantsa debuts tonight. Such a good time to be a Wiz fan. Let's make a playoff push and figure out the best version of this group!

Basketball used to be my favorite sport. To play and to watch. I always loved the Bullets. Especially Elvin Hayes. The Big E. I still remember practicing his signature turnaround jumper and the roar of the crowd (in my head) when the ball went in. I loved the Bullets through the years and decades and I even hung out with Manute Bol at my local bowling alley and taught him how to play pinball. But shit got so bad I kinda tuned out and stopped caring. But this year I wanna come back. Is this team and this franchise worthy of me? Have they turned things around? Is this gonna be a fun and productive year? If the buzz I feel is true, I'm leaning towards yes.

Current relevant per game stat rankings vs league:

Passes: 29th

Assists: 25th

Secondary assists: 20th

Potential assists: 25th

Average second per touch: 4th

Dribbles per touch: 4th

Paint touches: 20th

Catch and shoot FG attempts: 25th

The ball is sticky, Kyshawn and AD playing ISO ball all the time, no plays run to set up shooters. No passing, our entire ball movement profile feels like it’s Trae young passing and everyone else it seems to just stick to or one pick and roll action and everyone else standing still, if the action gets blown up then someone just gets a grenade possession.

I do think this will get slightly better when AJ gets back into the lineup and can be another player who can consistently force the defense to rotate by beating the first line, but I’m very nervous about what this looks like going forward.

What’s your guys vibe on this?

BetMGM and FD still maintain the summer over/under lines of 34.5 and 35.5 wins for the season. (Over odds are -105 to -115 against under odds of -115 to -120). With all the crazy injuries and slow starts, what are your thoughts on this line? I feel like the Wiz are really undervalued at this point but the past couple of losses (especially to CHA) aren’t exactly a glowing endorsement of this season’s prospects either, even with AJ not having played yet.

Anyone else joining me in crashing out on the over 40 games line?

22:14 for Wiz analysis. Still pretty negative all things considered (believe he says we could win 38 games; I wouldn’t say that’s pessimistic, but certainly more so than most folks on this sub including myself). He likes Kyshawn and Tre, unsurprisingly. Thinks AD trade near term is the obvious move.

Remember though, that for every Simmons Wiz take, you have to account for the bias of how much joy he takes in mocking the Wiz for the sake of his favorite self-loathing Wiz fan, Joe House.

He's the best shooter on the team. He isn't a great defender so when he's on the court your would expect the team to use him for his shooting. I would expect him to be constantly on the move with teammates constantly setting back screens and and pin downs to spring him open. Yet from what I've watched he's always just parked in the corner or the wing not getting any 3 point oppurtunites.

I just find it weird for a team like ours who struggles shooting the 3 ball to not make his 3 point shooting a focal point of the offense when he comes off the bench.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In the heat of the moment Saturday night inside the United Center, Anthony Davis felt he had to say something as the Washington Wizards’ most decorated player. His team’s defense had just held its ground, forcing Chicago Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson into a 10-foot fadeaway jumper that clanked harmlessly off the rim and descended toward the court.

Seemingly out of nowhere, 6-foot-1 Bulls point guard Tre Jones sprinted to the ball, untouched by any Wizards player, and collected an offensive rebound. Davis fouled Jones as Jones attempted to shoot.

Exasperated, Davis turned to Trae Young, Tre Johnson, Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr and yelled, “Box out!” It was the kind of thing a 10-time All-Star and former NBA champion should say to his younger teammates. No one else’s voice could have carried more weight.

Forty-eight hours later, in an arena nearly 750 miles to the southeast, it was clear that Davis’ message had gone unheeded or been forgotten.

The Wizards lost to the Charlotte Hornets 110-103 Monday night at the Spectrum Center primarily because of their failure to box out. With energetic center Moussa Diabaté leading the charge, the Hornets ransacked the glass, gathering 20 offensive rebounds and converting those second-chance opportunities into 26 points.

Read the rest here for free: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7728556/2026/10/27/washington-wizards-loss-anthony-davis-hornets/?unlocked_article_code=1.L1E.-4sI.k83TLmihySZ_&source=emp_shared_article&smid=url-share-ta

I’ve watched all 4 games and living in Chicago got a chance to go to the game on Saturday. These comments are within the context of my expectation that we can be a top 8 team in the East. So, the sky is not falling but it’s clear there are some pretty big issues preventing this team from reaching its potential.

Unfixable issues:
1. Trae is the only viable ball handler and playmaker. Everything runs through him (see: leads the league in assists but we are bottom 10 in assist rate). Makes the offense extremely predictable and there’s not a lot of side actions after we get through his PnR. Occasional AD post up or Kyshawn iso. Neither very efficient options. AJ helps with this a bit but isn’t going to be a top flight playmaker right out of the gates
2. There are no 2 way wings who can shoot on this team except for maybe Kyshawn who is quite streaky. Tre competes but is still undersized (and lineups with Trae get eviscerated. However, we have to keep Trae on the floor due to point #1). Bub has same issues. Bilal can’t shoot and neither can AJ or Champagnie to a degree that keeps the defense honest. Floor gets very tight

Fixable issues:
1. Defense & rebounding intensity. This has frankly been pathetic. I don’t know if it’s coaching or getting into game shape or just learning to play together but for a team as big as this one is, there should be no problem competing on that end and limiting the opponent’s offensive opportunities. It’s gross to watch so far. Just not competing. AJ will help
2. Lack of offensive gravity. This is probably where AJ makes the most impact. Right now there’s no one that warrants extra defensive attention so it’s very easy to guard this team. If AD or Tre hit tough shots so be it, but nothing is pulling the defense out of its intended shape

Thoughts?

AD puts injury concerns to rest after Hornets game.

i didn’t see much on the play where he got hurt, i just saw him limping off to the locker room and never came back. i’m hoping it’s nothing serious

Through four games, Alex Sarr is averaging 8.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocks in 24.3 minutes per game. He’s shooting 53.8% from the field but just 1-for-8 from three. He had his best scoring game of the season against Charlotte on Monday, finishing with 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks on 4-of-6 shooting.

For comparison, he averaged 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks last season. His shot attempts have dropped from 13.7 to 6.5 per game, so it looks like he’s adjusting to a smaller offensive role alongside Trae Young and Anthony Davis. It’s only four games, though, so I’m not reading too much into it yet.

Everybody needs to calm down. I was at the game tonight. The loss sucked and the rebounding was horrible, but can we all chill out on saying sarr can't be a starting center? The dude made massive strides last season, moved most of his scoring into the paint, and started rebounding. He's also put on some muscle since he came into the league.

Let the guy get back into basketball shape before you make a judgement on him. We have a somewhat promising start to a season and immediately turn on our young guys after one bad loss?

I’m a Hawks fan, but the Wizards have become my second team for obvious reasons. I’m currently in the DMV visiting family and I can’t use league pass for the wizards and my family has cable but they don’t have monumental sports network because it’s a 40 dollar monthly upcharge on the cable bill then the online subscription is an outlandish 20 bucks a month. I hate piracy because I don’t wanna risk slowing my computer down with viruses (not for ethical reasons). I’m probably the 100th person to complain about this but I decided to complain anyway! Why isn’t it easier to watch the local team? What sense does that make??

Who has been the most disappointing and most surprising player so far and why?

It’s still October. We have November, December, January, February, March, And April (not including play-in and playoffs). Thats 6 months and 78 games left to play. We haven’t even seen Dybantsa yet. A LOT is going to change in the next few months alone

Deep inhale. Deep exhale