Who Is The Weakest Link in Wizards' Starting Lineup?

Basketball is back, and we all can’t seem to be more excited to watch the return of action for the Washington Wizards. After years of misery, the Wizards have constructed a solid starting unit that should give many teams problems throughout the season. There is a balance of youth, veterans, high energy, versatility, high IQ and good shooting from everyone in the starting five. With that being the case, the Wizards should certainly win more games than they did last season.

The Wizards’ projected starting lineup:

Bub Carrington
CJ McCollum
Khris Middleton
Kyshawn George
Alex Sarr pic.twitter.com/sr1shJtpVT
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) October 1, 2025

As we prepare for the start of basketball for this team, the starting unit is anticipated to be Bub Carrington, CJ McCollum, Khris Middleton, Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr. The feeling in the room is that this team will go as far as Bub Carrington and Alex Sarr can take them. They are the centerpieces of this team, not to mention their starting five. Carrington will have the ball in his hands a lot, despite everyone being able to create offense for themselves as well as others. Sarr is the only true player with size in this starting group. He will be heavily depended on for rebounding, defending the paint, and getting some easy buckets down low. With that said, Khris Middleton may be the weakest link in this starting lineup.

Washington Wizards Khris Middleton — Jan 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) is guarded by Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (1) in he first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

There is no doubt that Middleton is on the back end of his career. He is 34 years old, but it feels like he is much older than that, given the state of his body today. He has played numerous games throughout his basketball career and has endured several injuries. As a matter of fact, he even played many games hurt. This was done because he had to. While with the Milwaukee Bucks, they had a window of winning multiple championships as they had one of the better teams in the league for several years. Towards the end of his tenure with the Bucks, that’s when he begin to miss many games as the window appeared to have shut for them.

His availability is another reason why he may be the weakest link in the starting lineup. The question many people have is how many games can we expect Middleton to play in this season? Will he be able to play back-to-back games? Will he be on a minute restriction? These are questions that many feel doubtful about because Middleton doesn’t have much to play for as the Wizards are rebuilding and transitioning at this time. While he still is going to be valuable to the team, Middleton appears to be the weakest link in the starting lineup of the Wizards.

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