Summer League Grades for Wizards' Rookie Class

It was disappointing to see the Texas guard only play two games. More games could have provided an accurate look at how Johnson plays. Preseason should prove valuable for the rookie, and he should be a day-one starter. Overall, for rookie debuts, it does not get much better.

Grade: A

Will Riley

Will Riley made an early statement and went as far as to show that he is the steal of the NBA draft. Riley finished his Summer League debut, averaging 10.5 points on 58.3 percent shooting from the field. To go on top of that, the rookie also shot 57.1 percent from distance. He was an uber-efficient player when it came to shooting.

He also knew how to fit immediately into a system. Oftentimes, you will see rookies struggle in the Summer League because they are not used to the pace or the team's system. Riley seemed to have little struggle with this. He fit right in and got to work. The stats don't jump off the page, but the tape does. The game against the Brooklyn Nets is a great example. He finished with 16 points, but he only missed one shot the entire game.

Riley proved to be an efficient forward who lets the game flow naturally to him. He may not be getting day one starts like Tre Johnson, but he could be a valuable piece off the bench once the team begins to contend again. He had the same problem as Tre Johnson, which was that he only played two games.

Grade: A-

Jamir Watkins

If Riley looked like the steal of the draft, then Jamir Watkins looks like highway robbery. Watkins averaged 11 points, five rebounds and four steals in five games played. He showcased why he should have been a first-round draft pick in the 2025 draft.

Defensively, what is there not to love? He hustles for the ball, tied a Summer League record for steals in a game, and even got up to rim protect a few times. After the news that Marcus Smart was being bought out so he could join the Lakers, the Wizards needed a perimeter defender. This should be taken as a sign of the amount of effort Will Dawkins is putting into Watkins, particularly as a perimeter defender.

He still needs to improve the jumper, but the Wizards do not need him as an offensive weapon. They instead need him to be a defender who can lock up a team's number one guard or forward, and he can do that.

Grade: A-