Three Key Wizards Plays to Take Away from Preseason Knicks Win

The Washington Wizards left plenty of signs for optimism in their 111-109 victory over the reigning champions.

Oct 8, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Washington Wizards forward Anthony Davis (23) is defended by New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Alexander Wohl-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Exciting preseason performances and the overreactions that players' respective returns to televised basketball are going to breed is a relationship that's been around for as long as the league's been leaning into this ramp-up period, and a result like the Washington Wizards' 111-109 victory over the New York Knicks has all of the makings of a trap designed for the D.C. fan base. "If they could beat the defending champs, who knows what they're capable of?" was bound to echo through X's walls.

And while the final scores of matchups in which the likely starters normally sit for second halves can be misleading, the new-look Wizards left real reasons for excitement. Their ambitions to guide their expansive young corps with win-now veterans like Trae Young and Anthony Davis will ensure that the squad will never be short on creation ability, with a few key plays sticking out as noteworthy developments to monitor amidst the franchise's directional shift.

Clip No. 1: Young's First Bucket with the 2026-27 Wizards

Trae Young hits a corner 3 vs. the Knicks pic.twitter.com/jDhiIfTVJD

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) October 9, 2026

All throughout Washington's training camp media availabilities, Young's been haunted by a familiar line of questioning regarding his willingness and general-capabilities playing off-ball. It's something he did infrequently during his eight-year run with the Atlanta Hawks, but he'll be asked to be more versatile than ever in making room for the Wizards' assortment of blooming playmakers.

Anyone strapped with his shooting ability is usually just a mindset shift away from making that sort of adjustment, though, and Young wasted no time in demonstrating his inclination to allow others to breathe with the ball in their hands. Washington's first bucket of the night arrived off of a Kyshawn George pass to Young in the corner pocket, where he drilled a spot-up 3-pointer with ease.

George, largely expected to take over some of the backup playmaking responsibilities whenever Young sits, may get more touches with the primary lineup than we may have expected, an aspiration made easier if Young can consistently fluctuate between floor general and part-time play-finisher.

Clip No. 2: AJ Dybantsa's Instantly-Smooth Awareness

Kyshawn cuts backdoor and AJ sets him up for the finish. pic.twitter.com/FyT2fVlJkO

— Wizards Film Room (@KevinFolliNBA) October 9, 2026

Here, we see another shift in how the Wizards' wide range of ball-handlers can compliment one another. George, once the assist man for Young, cuts off-ball and benefits from of a split-second AJ Dybantsa read that New York's defense didn't see coming.

Three takeaways may emerge from this clip: recent No. 1 draft pick Dybantsa obviously has to be accounted for amongst Washington's variety of creators, he'll benefit greatly from a well-spaced rotation capable of stretching helping defenders away from the rim, and the general matchup problem that George poses. He's arguably the least-intimidating member of the Wizards' starting lineup, yet he can still beat coverages with his jumper, his driving muscle, his eye for passing and, now, hit cutting instincts.

Oct 8, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) takes a three point basket during the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Alexander Wohl-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dybantsa, for the record, had no shortage of highlights produced in his 11-point debut. His defensive awareness has already helped erase some of his early defensive concerns with four steals, and while his raw athleticism will prove handy in blowing by defenders, that vision for good offense was what helped the fan base sleep as warmly as they did last night.

Clip No. 3: Evidence of Washington's Early Double-Big Optimism

Ayton's final debut highlight included a pass back out to the perimeter off of the screen and roll, a tipped rebound (despite getting boxed out by KAT) and the awareness to find AD again on the cut. The good side of what Washington's affinity for the double-big look can produce pic.twitter.com/QXFI7h40zJ

— All Wizards Talk (@AllWizardsTalk) October 9, 2026

The Wizards seem set on giving Davis exactly what he wants from a per-game fit perspective, even if the gap between the two sides' extension views have yet to shrink. Alex Sarr's status as the day-one starter at center sets up AD to live out his power forward preferences, and Washington's coaching staff refused to deviate from that setup in New York despite Sarr's absence from the preseason opener.

Davis generally-lingered around the perimeter during his minutes alongside a true center in Deandre Ayton, and though that won't be the idealized utilization of the future Hall of Famer's versatility over the course of the season, he sure looked the part of the floor-spacing Swiss Army knife with a game-high 16 points and a pair of smooth triples. No hesitation, no doubt.

Anthony Davis gets on the board from deep in his @WashWizards preseason debut 🎯

Wizards/Knicks is LIVE on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/DFpd2RhI0u

— NBA (@NBA) October 9, 2026

Still, fans got a glimpse of how he can compliment a true seven-footer like Ayton or Sarr, with those 3-pointers forcing defenders to meet him at the perimeter. Even when he misses, as he did just before the end of the half, there's Ayton to get the offensive board and find Davis on the cut to the basket.

That's just the sort of play that he and Sarr should take notes on, with each of the starting having already proved comfortable feeding teammates with little interior dumpoffs over their respective careers. And unlike Ayton, Sarr is happy to mimic AD in drifting 20+ feet out himself, posing the potential for his swapping roles with Davis in this scenario.

Washington is certainly proud of its size, with General Manager Will Dawkins having already propped up the Wizards' league-leading height just this week in pumping up the rotation he's conceived. We've still yet to see all three frequently-used bigs sharing the floor, let alone the active depth chart, but they're clearly armed with the innate and collective talent to continue surprising the outsiders over the months to come.

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