Previewing Will Riley's Rookie Season in Washington: Will He Crack the Rotation?

The drawbacks of landing with an NBA bottom-feeder are obvious – notably, all the losing – but there can be advantages, too. For a young prospect in need of experience and opportunity, losing teams tend to provide more minutes, latitude and developmental attention. Here’s the expectation for Riley's rookie season in the nation’s capitol:

Simply put, Riley isn’t NBA-ready. The physicality he showed during his freshman season at Illinois was admirable, but no amount of grit can make up for a 186-pound frame (at 6-foot-8) against NBA competition. Toss in his subpar athleticism, and he’s physically unprepared for the next level – for the time being.

Nearly every other aspect of Rileys game is mature beyond his 19 years. An absurdly talented scorer and solid facilitator, Riley has the tools to be a valuable rotational player in the league – and the potential for more.

And although the Wizards struggled mightily last season, they already had a solid wing rotation, then bolstered it with the recent addition of CJ McCollum. Khris Middleton and McCollum will be the starters, while Kyshawn George, fellow rookie Tre Johnson and Justin Champagnie all figure to see minutes before Riley.

With that in mind, expect Riley’s rookie campaign to involve a healthy dose of time spent with the Wizards’ G-League affiliate: the Capital City Go-Go. (Yes, that’s the actual name.)

In time – likely a year or two – Riley should slowly but surely fill out his frame and improve his lateral and vertical athleticism while honing his already stellar offensive bag. If that all comes to pass, he should develop into an integral piece of Washington’s rotation. Just not right away.

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