Bringing Fun Back to Cap One: New-Look Wizards
Pure electricity is the only correct way to describe the atmosphere at Capital One Arena during the Washington Wizards' 128-116 opening-night victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, especially during a fourth quarter that saw the Wizards outscore Milwaukee 38-23 to secure the win.
After an exciting offseason reinvigorated the fanbase, we learned a major lesson sports can teach on opening night: at the end of the day, all talk still has to be settled on the court.
Even with No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa out nursing an ankle injury sustained in preseason, DC hoop fans were in a rowdy mood all night as the team put a much-improved product on the floor in comparison to last season.
Against a Milwaukee team in the early stages of a true rebuild, fans likely expect a more convincing first three quarters, but we saw both the good and what needs improvement in this exciting Wizards win in which six Wizards scored in double figures.
Anthony Davis
Anchoring the team on both sides of the floor, Anthony Davis showed Wizards fans what a true top-tier superstar looks like in full takeover mode.
Davis scored 34 points, added 12 rebounds, and even heard MVP chants that started as early as the first quarter.
In the postgame press conference, Coach Brian Keefe told the media how Davis acted as an anchor in the first three quarters during the Wizards' slow offensive start.
“He was able to establish himself deep in the paint, scoring around the rim, drawing tons of free-throw attempts,” Keefe said.
In addition to Keefe’s comments, Davis talked about getting his opponents in foul trouble postgame, and the strategy paid off as the Wizards took advantage in the post.
Myles Turner finished with four fouls, and Kel’El Ware fouled out in the fourth quarter, severely limiting Milwaukee's options in the paint.
The Wizards capitalized on the advantage and rode a wave of momentum in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Bucks 44-20 in the paint in the second half, a mark they used to buoy the team's 6-of-28 shooting night from three.
In addition to his play on the court, Davis touched on the atmosphere and even mentioned that the team needs even more fans in the arena, but said the turnout was better than his first few games he experienced in DC, saying that at times the arena looked like “dress like a seat night”.
Last night, we learned Davis is invaluable to the Wizards on a nightly basis, but that reliance raises questions about his long-term fit with the team's competitive timeline.
In the short-term, it’s incredibly refreshing to see a high-level two-way player at work.
Trae Young
With 20 points and 13 assists, Trae Young flashed what I believe is his Wizards production floor in game one. Without much aggression/success directly attacking downhill, Young still found ways to get to the free-throw line and set up teammates efficiently, even while Milwaukee sent two defenders to the ball all night to mess with Young’s rhythm.
After some preseason turnover concerns, Young told the media last night, “I told y'all I wasn’t going to be turning it over like that,” after only one turnover in the opener.
Aside from the positives, we saw Milwaukee hunt Trae with size on the perimeter, and even an early back-cut into a layup that highlighted some of the defensive issues some have talked about during his career.
However, he still competed on that end, and it is encouraging to see his output in what was far from his best game, but as Trae put it best himself, “We ended up with a win and that’s the main thing that matters,” showcasing his mentality as the floor general.
WizKids
Aside from the vets and the No. 1 pick still in the wings, this Wizards team's success hinges on the growth and development of the Dawkins-era draft selections.
Kyshawn George showed continued growth and development with 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists as his increased strength from offseason weight room work fully showed, and he bullied his way to the rim on multiple occasions.
George’s main drawback was foul trouble, something he struggled with last season, and based on his play last night, defending without fouling is the main obstacle that can limit his ceiling because foul trouble will limit time on the floor.
Bub Carrington contributed with 10 points and four assists and provided effort on the defensive end.
At the same time, Bilal Coulibaly, who started in place of AJ Dybantsa, scored 11 points and paced the Wizards with four steals, an encouraging outing for Coulibaly after his camp and the Wizards failed to agree on a contract extension a few days ago.
Tre Johnson, despite his sharpshooter ability, failed to make a three in the opener but still scored eight points, and Alex Sarr finished with six points, nine boards, and two assists.
Vibes
Overall, you can feel the change in Wizards basketball. From the emotions of the fans to the passion of the players, DC is ripe for some fun basketball all season.
To take everyone back down to earth, it’s fair to remind you that the Milwaukee Bucks are projected to be in the cellar of the NBA standings, but the encouragement is that Washington can field a team that can beat teams they’re supposed to beat on paper.
While there are still some defensive questions, in particular some lapses that allowed wide-open looks for the Bucks' outside shooting, and the offense wasn’t particularly in a flow most of the night, the Wizards’ dominant fourth quarter showed the upside this team has, all without the added talent of AJ Dybantsa, who will hopefully join the team on the court soon.
After years, it’s time for Wizards fans to rally around a team that has the potential to make professional men’s basketball in the nation's capital relevant again.
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