Wizards Sophomore Poised for Major Leap

Another young Wizard that looks prone to breakout is Kyshawn George. Washington took flyer on George coming out of a Miami, in hope of him developing into a point guard. Although he hasn't developed into a lead guard thus far, George has shown enough promise to warrant attention. George's biggest weapon is his versatility. His combination of length and ball handling allow him to be valuable in endless combinations of lineups and situations. Along with that, George has shown vast improvement as a scorer over the past year, dominating the competition in summer league — continuing that momentum into preseason. George has more than stamped himself into the Wizards rotation and he will likely see an influx of opportunity this season.

AJ Johnson and Bub Carrington will be in similar boats this year. Both of them are very talented players who will be given plenty of opportunity, but more than likely they wont be given as long of a leash compared to Sarr and George. Carrington is definitely in a more favorable position then Johnson. Carrington played in all 82 games last year for the Wizards, starting in 57 if them, and was an impact player throughout the entire year. Despite his success as a rookie, the acquisition of CJ McCollum and Tre Johnson this offseason, paired with the progression of AJ Johnson will likely hinder the production of Carrington. On that same notion, Johnson wont be given as many chances as last year. He has easily the most raw and underdevloped skillset in the Wizards backcourt, which will likely prevent him from being a constant in Washingtons rotation.

The Wizards have a lot going right with their young core. A solid combination of young and veteran talent, along with low expectations allow head coach Brian Keefe to experiment with how he utilizes his young talent. Expectations for wins amongst the fanbase are relatively low, but if a few of the sophomores can take the next step in their development, the Wizards could be sneak their way into the play-in picture.