Toronto Raptors forward/guard Scottie Barnes drives to the basket as Washington Wizards forward Cam Whitmore. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Five questions ahead of Wizards vs. Raptors NBA Cup game

Originally posted on Toronto Raptors on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Nov 21, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Toronto Raptors are getting ready to take on the Washington Wizards in their first NBA Cup game this season at Scotiabank Arena.

To learn more about the Raptors' next opponent, we spoke with Washington Wizards On SI contributor Owen Jury.

The Wizards are 1-13 to start the season. Why have they been unable to win the game?

If there was one singular reason behind the Wizards abysmal start to the season then more then likely it would be solved by now. Sadly, the Wizards problems lie far deeper than just a simple fix. Between underperforming talent and poor coaching decisions, Washington has itself a plethora of problems.

To make matters worse, the Wizards have struggled to keep their best talent on the floor, as Bilal Coulibaly has dealt with injury all season and Kyshawn George has an everlasting problem with fouling. All of the Wizards personnel problems clashes with poor game-plans and execution, ending in a 1-13 start to the 2025-26 season.

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Could the backdrop of the NBA Cup spark a stronger competitive edge out of the Wizards?

As fun as it would be to see the NBA Cup light a spark in Washington, it would be ridiculous to believe that to be true.

In the NBA Cup's three-year existence, the Wizards are yet to win a single game in pool play, squashing any existing hope of change this season. It would be fun to see a re-invented Wizards team roll out and win some games that have meaning behind it, but nothing to this point would lead anyone to believe they will.

Is Wizards head coach Brian Keefe on the hot seat?

Brian Keefe's seat is likely one of, if not the hottest seat in the NBA right now. Although he has been dealt far from an ideal deck of cards, Keefe has done little to salvage with talent he possesses. He will consistently run out odd rotations and confusing lineups that both don't contribute to on court wins and also are counterintuitive to the development of young talent.

He has relied heavily this season on veteran talent to lead the offense in games, despite said talent consistently underperforming. Keefe's relationship with GM Will Dawkins will likely keep his job safe for the time being, but his job will likely be in jeopardy if he can't turn things around.

What do the Wizards need to do to pull out a win?

Wizards and win in the same sentence when not separated by a won't, not or didn't seams like a fever dream at this point in time. However, this team has still shown some positive signs even through all of the bad play that suggest a win in the future.

For Washington, the key to winning would mean an all around team performance. They would need great performances out of their lead contributors, along with some secondary and tertiary players stepping up. The Raptors are a far more complete and competent team than the Wizards at this point in time, but the Wizards definitely have the talent to pull off the upset.