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In their preseason finale, the Washington Wizards lost to a New Orleans Pelicans squad well-stocked with former Wizards, 107-106.
The game itself was fine for preseason with the exception of No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa landing bad after getting bumped by Zion Williamson while taking a shot and rolling his ankle. It look painful and awkward, and I hope the first thought that came to mind comes true: “He’s 19, so he’ll probably be fine in a couple days.”
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While it would be difficult to accuse either team of playing particularly well, there were a number of process things from the Wizards that I did like.
For example, early in the first quarter, Trae Young and Kyshawn George were crossmatched in a quasi-transition situation after a turnover. First, I liked how seamlessly they each matched up in transition. This was a major point of weakness last season.
Kyshawn George capped a strong preseason by scoring 14 points on 5-7 shooting against the New Orleans Pelicans. | NBAE via Getty Images
Second, Young bumped Herb Jones to prevent Jones from simply going where he wanted uncontested. That’s exactly what he should have done, and it suggests Young’s trying to fulfill his pledge to work harder on the defensive end.
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Finally, when New Orleans passed to the wing, Young and George switched while the ball was in the air — George going back to the bigger Jones, and Young picking up the smaller guard. Altogether, nothing earth-shaking, but it’s smart, professional basketball.
The Wizards length on defense made an impact. One play midway through the first, Jones attacked the much smaller Young. His options were limited by Anthony Davis drifting down from the opposite elbow and Alex Sarr lurking at the rim. Young stayed engage despite getting beat on the play. End result: a Sarr block.
A scene from Little Things Theater — Sarr got knocked down getting a rebound. The teammates to help him up: Davis and Young.
In the second quarter, with the shot clock running down, Bilal Coulibaly blitzed Saddiq Bey, who was prepping his move against the smaller Tre Johnson. Reduced to no other options, Bey threw up a highly…
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Publish date : 2026-10-17 03:26:00
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