One Expectation For Each Washington Wizards Rookie

It suffices to say, Johnson’s scoring prowess is clearly his strength and the Wizards should look forward to that. However, like many players whose focus is tilted to their offense, he has to improve on the defensive end.

To be fair, Johnson was the Longhorns main offensive option.

In that role, he had to focus most of his energy on that end. Furthermore, he isn’t necessarily awful on the defensive end, as he can have nice defensive plays. Nevertheless, he needs to be more consistent and more of a force.

With that in mind, Johnson should have more offensive help than he did at Texas in the form of players like Bub Carrington, Khris Middleton, and CJ McCollum. As a result, he can split his energy much more evenly, allowing him to put more effort into defense. Ultimately, if he can improve in that regard, Johnson will be a player that the Wizards can reliably start.

Will Riley

Expectation: Getting Stronger

The Wizards obtained Illinois forward Will Riley in a draft-day trade that sent the 18th overall pick to the Jazz.

In Riley, Washington has another gifted offensive player. The 6-foot-8 wing’s offensive talents lie in his ability to get to the rim, his perimeter shot-making, and his upside as a secondary playmaker. He also demonstrated excellence as a passer and playmaker in a secondary capacity. Those skills were seen in Riley’s Summer League outing against the Nets.

The area that Riley needs to improve in is his lack of strength. While he does embrace physicality on his drives, his lack of strength can cause him to be bumped off course by stronger players. That leads to serious questions regarding how his offense translates to the NBA, where he has even more of a chance to be outmuscled.

Riley’s lack of strength is also an issue on defense. Opposing offensive players can straight bully through him to get to the rim. As a result, he needs to take this upcoming season to get stronger and add weight to his frame. If he can do that, his game becomes easier to play.

Jamir Watkins

Expectation: Up His Efficiency

With the 43rd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Wizards selected Florida upperclassman Jamir Watkins.

A 6-foot-7 wing, Watkins is archetypal of the jack-of-all-trades. He excels as a defender and slasher. He can also handle the ball and make solid passing reads. However, it’s clear that he needs to improve his efficiency, especially if the Wizards are looking at him to play a 3-and-D role.

With that in mind, Watkins shot poorly in Summer League, converting just 21.9% of his 3-point attempts. He wasn’t the most efficient in college either, shooting just 32.5% from 3 for the Seminoles across all four years. Watkins is an NBA-level defender but if he wants to stick around, let alone play meaningful minutes, he needs to take this season to improve his offense.