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Apr 2, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards head coach Brian Keefe (R) looks on from the bench against the Sacramento Kings in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Three Goals for Wizards’ Preseason Games

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Scott Conrad | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Wednesday was the next big day in the Washington Wizards' future. The NBA announced the preseason schedule for all 30 teams in the league.

Three games, one at home and two on the road, were scheduled for the Wizards. This trio of preseason contests can serve Washington's needs in a multitude of ways.

While there is little stock in the preseason in terms of its immediate impact on the regular season, it would benefit the Wizards to do well. In the past three years, all three eventual NBA champions were above .500 in the preseason. That includes the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Boston Celtics, both of which are the last two champions and finished 4-1.

With a smaller slate than in seasons past, the Wizards have just three preseason games to figure out these main objectives.

Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

1. Establish the starting lineup.

As of now, Bud Carrington is listed as the starting point guard on ESPN's depth chart. Veterans CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton fill out the shooting guard and small forward positions, respectively. Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr round out the last two positions, power forward and center.

Washington also has another capable point guard, Malcolm Brogdon, that could start, as well. Other players like Cam Whitmore, Corey Kispert, and rookie Tre Jones are expected to vie for valuable playing time and roles in the rotation for head coach Brian Keefe.

2. Develop a strong second unit.

The Wizards went 2-3 in the NBA Summer League this year. It was an excellent chance for last year's rookies and inexperienced athletes to get more playing time.

Washington just has to look at the last Eastern Conference Champions, the Indiana Pacers, in order to see how valuable a solid bench can be. Among the best in the league the past two seasons, the Pacers' second unit has been a huge reason why they have made it to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals.

If the Wizards look to mimic this feature to their lineup, developing a great depth chart at every position could set Washington up for their first trip to the playoffs since 2021.

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

3. Figure out their biggest, glaring hole in on the roster.

Currently, the Wizards are two players deep at every position. On paper, this team looks primed for a return to the postseason with their current rebuild well under way.

As we mentioned the Pacers, one trend that Washington seems to be copying is building a young roster like the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their youthful lineups helped launch their franchise to their first NBA title since relocating from Seattle (the SuperSonics).

Only three players are older than 27. McCollum, Middleton and Brogdon are all in their thirties. Kaspert and Marvin Bagley III are the only other players on the Wizards that older than 25.

Perhaps Washington's biggest need is playoff and championship experience (outside of Middleton and Company). The good thing about the preseason is that the wins don't really matter much. However, they also don't hurt, either.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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