Wizards Sophomores Headline Players to Watch in Season Opener

It's easy for NBA fans to feel overwhelmed in soaking in the long-awaited return of the league. The regular season got back up and running last night with a couple of marquee matchups, and supporters of the Washington Wizards prepare have to make sure they're not trying to take everything in at once in their team's first game since the spring.

If there were any specific portion of the rebuilding roster to keep a close eye on in their Wednesday night debut against the Milwaukee Bucks, it's to see how NBA-ready their various young pieces look. And while their high-lottery pick in Tre Johnson will unquestionably draw the most eyes, it would also be wise to monitor how their trio of hand-drafted sophomores look to build off of their respectable rookie seasons.

The Wizards' Out-of-Nowhere Gem

Despite being the only one of the three to fall short of one of the two All-Rookie teams, none of the roster's returners have drummed up nearly as much intrigue as Kyshawn George. He, like his fellow young Wizards, showed promising signs of a productive career, shooting from 3-point range and defending at a more productive level than many of his rookie classmates, but he saw his stock shoot way up in the summer.

The brief glimpses he flashed of ball-handling and passing transitioned into regular on-ball possessions in Summer League and AmeriCup play, with the heads-up forward's growing scoring threat opening up opportunities for his to get teammates involved. And with Bilal Coulibaly ruled out for the season opener with an injury, George can take the starting-four spot and never look back.

Washington Wizards Forward Kyshawn George — Oct 12, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) dribbles the ball as Toronto Raptors forward/guard RJ Barrett (9) defends in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Bub Approaches the Crossroads

The coaching staff is largely expected to continue ladling responsibilities onto George's plate, seeing just how much he's capable of as he continues rapidly growing. The same can be said of Bub Carrington, even though his hype is trending in a different direction.

He's got a wide-open starting point guard spot to take advantage of, but whether he's capable of consistently creating for himself and others has recently been thrown into doubt. A rocky preseason showing fleshed out some of the concerns in Carrington's game, with many fans getting reminded of his low rim pressure rate and how little his impact is felt if the outside jumper isn't falling.

The guard is expected to re-take the starting lineup job he won last season, where he'll be joined by CJ McCollum in the backcourt and backed up by Johnson. He has the tendency to fall into passive tendencies, but needs to maintain his opportunity hunting in his first official game since ending the last Wizards season on a buzzer-beating game-winner.

Look Big, Play Big

Alex Sarr, the highest-drafted of the team's 2024 prospect pool, was tasked with his own offseason adjustments. He collected blocks and 3-pointers at a better clip than most rookie centers can anticipate, but the long leash he was provided with gave him the opportunity to play through the sort of mistakes that most players at his position won't make.

He was asked to increase his physicality following a contact-averse rookie campaign, as he regularly turned to his 3-point jumper or fading turnaround post bag whenever there he sensed a opportunity to get a shot off. He flagged the issue at Media Day, making it clear that he intended on asserting all seven feet of his frame down low in finishing closer to the basket.

Sarr certainly played like a grown man in limited preseason reps, utilizing hard rolls to the basket whenever opposing teams dared guard him with a smaller wing. His approach will sustain as a central storyline later tonight as a potential cornerstone to the Wizards' rebuild, and the same can be said for his fellow former first-rounders.

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