Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson Patrick McDermott/GettyImages

Wizards Hit Another Brutal Season Milestone

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Lane Mills | Last updated Nov 8, 2025 7:45 AM ET

The Washington Wizards, in the now two-year history since the creation of the NBA Cup, are the only team to still not win a singular game within it.

To kick off this weekend, D.C. hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers, coasting on the hope that they'd not only break their six-game losing streak, but finally secure that ever-elusive in-season tournament victory.

An Especial Failure

Not only did Washington fail to hit those marks, but they failed in spectacular fashion. The team's already suspect defense fell apart completely, allowing a season-high point total to the visitors in a home rout for the ages. Even without multiple key contributors, a home rout of this caliber is an unacceptable result for any serious team.

While the Wizards themselves scored 114 points, that individually fair number pales in comparison to the 148 posed by Cleveland. Washington was outscored in each of the four quarters - the first and last of which by double-digits - finding themselves unable to find any remote sense of rhythm in absence of forwards Bilal Coulibaly and Kyshawn George, to soreness and illness, respectively.

Khris Middleton returned to the team's frontcourt, but in scoring only four points in 22 minutes, the supposed veteran option was essentially missing from the contest too. What little success Washington did find came mostly from the team's younger options, save for a bounce-back, 25-point performance from CJ McCollum, who had been on a serious slump heading into the contest.

Final.#ForTheDistrict | @Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/TDvzvYvph9
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 8, 2025

The Wizards saw another strong performance from second-year big Alex Sarr, who had 20 points, four rebounds and four assists, as he continues to make his case as the clear soon-to-be star in D.C., if he isn't already.

The Wizards' Nucleus of Talent

Adjacent to Sarr was historic rookie and occasional scoring phenom Tre Johnson, spearheading Washington's backcourt with McCollum on the back of an 18-point outing of his own. Johnson continues to look the part of the first round pick it took to get him and, alongside Sarr and the missing George and Coulibaly, helps to form a promising nucleus of developing talent for the Wizards.

Without those players, the team is little more than a league-worst unit that can do little more than score, struggling to stay in front just about anybody, too. At 1-8, the team's season is already bordering on a wash.

Unless the "core four" can find a way to carry D.C. on defense, too, it may not be long before the latter label is officially applied, and Washington finds themselves towards the top of draft boards once more.

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

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