Wizards 2025-26 Player Grades: Kyshawn George

Kyshawn George gave Washington Wizards fans plenty to dream about following his exciting rookie development story.

The late first-round pick played his way from the edge of Washington's rotation and into the inner-most circle of the Wizards' young corps, right alongside fellow 2024 NBA Draft classmate Alex Sarr as a player with some of the best odds to represent what the franchise is trying to build into. Wizards On SI writers Bryson Akins and Henry J. Brown took some swings at analyzing his intriguing, injury-shortened sophomore season.

"Kyshawn George made a statement early in the season, but slowly fizzled out as the campaign rolled on. This is partly due to his injury troubles, but also because teams are prepping to put their best defender on George. This was a statement that would not have been thought of last season. Yet he put in the work and made himself a key member of the young core in Washington.

"His offense stepped up a ton, mainly in his confidence. He was not second-guessing whether to shoot or attack, and he knew the perfect passing lanes. His defense also took tremendous strides, holding up on the perimeter and the interior. The Wizards truly got a special two-way player in George."

Washington Wizards Forward Kyshawn George — Feb 3, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) attempts a jump shot in front of New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the first quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

"All in all, this season showed a side of George that was only shown in glimpses at the end of last season. It is fair to assume his ceiling is similar to that of a player like Jalen Williams. A high-end two-way player who can step up in every way." - Bryson Akins

Bryson's Grade: A

"Despite arriving into D.C. with considerably-less hype than top-two pick Sarr or the fan-favorite, highlight-friendly Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George has not only earned his keep as a prospect worthy of long-term investment, but also lived up to heightened expectations following his strong showing as a rookie.

"The Wizards saw a broad-shouldered forward capable of scoring at the rim just as comfortably as he could shoot the 3-ball, an otherwise-missing archetype amidst their expansive prospect pool, and enabled him to hike his usage rate up from 15.9% to 22.8%. He got to his pull-up midrange game at will in leveraging a strong outside jumper against ill-prepared defenders while maintaining his defensive responsibilities despite a jump in offensive priority, the true tell of a sustainable two-way talent."

Got to have a minute with Kyshawn George, who I asked about balancing a newfound offensive role and the defensive responsibilities he’s flashed.

“I think I have the abilities to do both, and that’s what I want to build my career on.” pic.twitter.com/HXFHvc0Rf2
— Henry J. Brown (@henryjbr_sports) December 10, 2025

"He seems destined to slot into the Wizards' future plans as the fourth scorer on a competitive team, but he'll continue to be bogged down by that durability and consistency concerns that similarly hound Sarr. George's full-season scoring average of 14.8 and steadily-decreasing shooting splits barely account for just how hot he was out of the gate, though the memory of his October heater still registered as enough to earn his first-ever invitation to the Rising Stars Game."

"He still has some work to do in translating the obvious talent into a steady nightly impact, but he'll be aided by the added presences of Trae Young and Anthony Davis, proven go-to stars to ease George's burden. Even still, he's now up there with the token prospects who've already emerged from his '24 class, making this a clear win of a showing out of Washington's prized forward." - Henry J. Brown

Henry's Grade: A-

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