Wizards Rookie Guard is Quickly Evolving His Skillset

This Washington Wizards rookie has taken a huge step in the right direction in regards to his outside shooting.

Feb 22, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jamir Watkins (5) takes a shot over Charlotte Hornets center PJ Hall (16) during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Despite the Washington Wizards having an underwhelming season thus far purely from a wins and losses perspective, there are still multiple positives that the team can take away from this year. From emerging young players to stellar rookie play, the future in Washington has never looked brighter, even with the team’s success not reflecting it. Players like Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George have made the leap into stardom, while rookies Tre Johnson and Will Riley have stolen the spotlight through impressive offensive play.

However, rookie forward Jamir Watkins has been impressive this season, especially considering his recent improvement as an outside shooter. Watkins wasn’t nearly as highly touted as the other players mentioned — in large part due to his offensive limitations — allowing him to slip all the way into the Wizards’ lap with the 43rd pick in the 2025 draft. Now being with the team for nearly an entire year, fans have begun to piece together what he will look like if all goes well.

Feb 22, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jamir Watkins (5) takes a shot before a game against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Past Struggles

It was no secret to any scout that Watkins was a subpar three-point shooting prospect. The six-foot-six forward was a career 32.5% outside shooter over his college tenure, with the highest number he ever eclipsed being 34.4% on relatively low volume. There was some hope as to him being a better shooter down the line, as he showed a steady increase in volume along with shooting a solid 75.8% from the free-throw line, but nothing that was overwhelmingly positive.

Those struggles continued into his early days in the NBA too, as Watkins is currently shooting just 28% from three on the season. His shot has been so bad at times that Washington is forced to play him as a small-ball five despite his lack of height, due to the fact other teams won’t respect him on the perimeter. However, it seems as if the 24-year-old has found his groove as of late.

Jamir Watkins with an EMPHATIC slam over the defender 😲

Wizards win at home! pic.twitter.com/7T9afqDm3p

— NBA (@NBA) February 21, 2026

Recent Hot Stretch

Although a small sample, Watkins has been vastly improved over his last three games as a shooter, hitting multiple outside shots in each game and shooting an impressive 53.8% over that stretch. He has looked far more confident with the ball in his hands on the outside, staying ready to shoot and letting it fly if given the space.

Smooth looking corner 3 from Jamir Watkins. If he starts knocking these down at anything above a 34% clip, he’s a rotation lock moving forward with great he is defensively. pic.twitter.com/AxuSIEzGiV

— Wizards Film Room (@KevinFolliNBA) February 22, 2026

Because of this, the rest of Watkins’ game has opened up as well, as when defenders are forced to pressure him on the perimeter it opens up driving lanes for him, allowing him to get downhill and finish.

This sample size is far too small to be considered indicative of the player he is as of right now, but at the worst, it is a sign of the rookie taking positive steps in the right direction.

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