How Wizards Can Take Advantage of Three-Day Break

The 1-11 Washington Wizards have found themselves with a bye week of sorts, being given three days of rest before they are back in action versus the Brooklyn Nets.

Washington, having as slow a start as they have, is being given a chance to regroup in hopes of salvaging whatever they can out of this season. Although there are only so many changes that can be made in this small of a window, Washington still has a chance to make the most out of this break.

Recover

Washington has been given a little break in between games after playing a rigorous stretch of games to open the season. This marks the first time to date that the Wizards have had a break of more than one day between games through the first 12 games of the season. Although Washington has a plethora of problems that they have to figure out, the most important thing it can do at the moment is rest.

Nov 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (20) dunks against the Houston Rockets during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Rest has become an increasingly valuable luxury for organizations across the league in recent seasons, and for good reason. The game is faster and more tenacious than ever, making the 82-game schedule all the more difficult to get through.

As a result, long breaks between games — like the one the Wizards have now — should be treated with the utmost gratitude and seriousness. Washington should maximize this break by minimizing the workload and focusing on returning the team to 100% health.

Re-Evaluate lineup

One of the bigger questions that Washington has faced through the early skirts of the 2025-26 is the allocation of minutes. Many fans have been left disappointed with the performance of some and impressed with the play of others, creating questions regarding the structure of the lineup.

Although it's unlikely that head coach Brian Keefe makes any substantial changes at this point in the season, this moment still presents itself as a chance for Washington to make a change.

Bub Carrington This Season:

5.3 PPG
4.2 AST
2.3 TO
29.6% FG

What Happened? pic.twitter.com/wo7ypjHe8b
— WizardsMuse (@WizardsMuse1) November 8, 2025

The changes that they could make aren't necessarily straightforward, but there are a few clear holes in the lineup.

Many fans have pointed a finger of blame at veteran forward Khris Middleton and sophomore guard Bub Carrington. Although it would be counterintuitive to the direction of the rebuild to slice Carrington's minutes, having some of Middleton's minutes redirected to younger players would prove to be valuable in the long run.

Form a Short-Term Plan

The Wizards start to this season has been confusing and painful to watch. Although the goal is to lose as many games as possible to potentially land a high lottery pick, they are still expected to do so within reason. At the end of the day, the main objective is still to please the fans and keep them engaged throughout the course of the year. So when Washington runs bad lineups out and sacrifices the minutes of young talent — doing so in losing efforts — it makes little to no sense.

Washington by no means has to form a five-year plan in this break, nor should it. This break is a chance for the Wizards to re-group and recover, looking to solve some problems and re-evaluate where they are at. Part of doing that is trying to establish a direction. Fans want to see the Wizards have a high pick, but they also want to see the team be competitive. Finding the balance is difficult, making this small break a perfect opportunity to answer some questions.

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