Inside The Wizards

Studs and Duds from Wizards' Eighth Loss in a Row

The Washington Wizards dropped another game as their losing streak keeps getting worse.
Bryson Akins|
Nov 3, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Washington forward Cam Whitmore (1) looks on during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images
Nov 3, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Washington forward Cam Whitmore (1) looks on during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

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Washington Wizards

Another game in Capital One Arena unfortunately ended in a loss for the Washington Wizards. However, it might not be unfortunate, as this could be part of the plan for this season. Lose as many games as possible so the team has no chance of losing their pick to the New York Knicks. Still, dropping your eighth game in a row in a 111-105 loss to the Dallas Mavericks is not going to boost morale at all.

Even in a game where the fanbase can only see it as a loss, there were some wins to take away from the night. Some players have finally started playing well, while others have taken a backseat. Here are studs and duds from the Wizards' second and final game against the Mavericks this season.

Stud: CJ McCollum

CJ McCollum has slowly looked like himself more each game. He started the season off very rough, but now appears to be a reliable veteran. McCollum finished with 25 points, six rebounds, two blocks, and two steals in the loss.

McCollum is getting old, and he has started to realize it. This is not a bad thing; it just means he needs to find new ways to be effective, and he has. If he continues this trend, his trade value could see a significant increase.

Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George
Nov 5, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) returns the ball against the Boston Celtics in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Dud: Kyshawn George

This was disappointing, as Kyshawn George had looked quite good to start the season. However, in the past few games, he has been struggling. This game was no different, as George only had 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting from the field.

The biggest issue George has at the moment is fouling. He has now fouled out of two games and has only finished one game with fewer than four fouls this season. If George wants to make an impact on the court, then he needs to stop fouling as much so he can stay on the court.

Stud: Cam Whitmore

It was a rough start to the season for Cam Whitmore, as he was adjusting to a new team and role. Now, he finally looks to be fitting in and knows his place on the team. In the loss, he accumulated 19 points off the bench, along with shooting 50 percent from distance.

Whitmore is a super athletic player who is just trying to prove he belongs in Washington. This led to him forcing some foul shots early in the season, but now he has slowed down and started looking like a much better player. He just has to hope he can keep this up now.

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Bryson Akins
BRYSON AKINS

Bryson Akins is a writer for the Wizards on Sports Illustrated. Akins graduated from Emerson College in the spring of 2025, the same school Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins attended. Some of Akins' past work includes covering the Thunder on Last Word on Sports, along with his YouTube channel "Thunder Digest." Bryson's favorite memory watching the Wizards are the hard screens center Marcin Gortat would set.

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