
The Washington Wizards made one of the most surprising moves ahead of last season's NBA trade deadline when they acquired All-Star center Anthony Davis.
Washington had very clearly been building a young core of players, and the addition of Davis, a player in his 15th season, was the exact opposite of what the team was building toward.
The move for Davis is already paying dividends, though, as he dominated Wednesday night in his Wizards debut and showed he can still be among the most dominant players in the NBA.
Davis played 34 minutes Wednesday in the 128-116 win for Washington over the Milwaukee Bucks, and it's hard to imagine it could've gone much better. Davis led all scorers with 34 points, tying the franchise record for most points in a debut.
He also led all players with 12 rebounds and added four assists, two steals and one block. It was the exact type of dominant performance that both the Wizards organization and fans had hoped for when Davis was acquired.
Anthony Davis is in ATTACK MODE early
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026
He's up to 10 PTS in the first quarter of his Washington debut! pic.twitter.com/sCh7AHfvEr
Anthony Davis has ALWAYS been a MONSTER in his team debuts
— Novig (@Novig) October 22, 2026
His Wizards debut was no different!
AD dominated once again, leading Washington to a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. pic.twitter.com/titVZj7iqo
Davis is obviously the focal point of the Washington offense, but he is surrounded by a good mix of another veteran and plenty of young talent. That second veteran is point guard Trae Young, who poured in a double-double of his own with 20 points and 13 assists.
Those two are the veterans of the team, and the young players learning from them are solid as well. Kyshawn George (18 points) and Bilal Coulibaly (11 points, four steals) were impactful in Wednesday's win, and we've still yet to mention the No. 2 overall pick AJ Dybantsa.
Dybantsa was unable to play due to an ankle injury, but he is expected to be a major contributor for many years to come. With Davis and Young leading from the front, the Wizards have a legitimate chance to emerge as a playoff contender in a loaded Eastern Conference.
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