The Wizards drop to 1-5 as they fall to the Orlando Magic 125-94. The entire team struggled tonight on both sides of the ball, giving up 75 points in the first half (43 in the second quarter). Washington shot 39.8 percent for the game while Orlando shot 51.1 percent.

Kyshawn George scored a team-high 17 points in just over 24 minutes. CJ McCollum was the highest scorer with 13. The duo of Paolo Banchero/Franz Wagner both had big games, scoring 28 and 25, respectively. Paolo, who has been struggling from the 3-point line all season (21.7%), made three on six attempts.

The growing pains continue for this young Washington team but a bright spot is that the coaching staff rolled out the young lineup of Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson and Alex Sarr. This lineup is a glimpse of what can be the not-so-distant future of this team. I asked Coach Keefe about this lineup decision and what he thought about it.

Next game for Washington will be on the road as they face the Knicks on Monday, November 3rd.

Thanks for reading/listening to The Stop and Pop. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for the latest news in the basketball world. See you next week—and until then, keep your dribble tight and your release smooth.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jarrettlspence.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jarrettlspence.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jarrettlspence.substack.com/subscribe

Wizards lose to the Philadelphia 76ers 139-134.

Alex Sarr had a big game with 31 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. He went against the former MVP, Joel Embiid either no fear. One play, Sarr got blocked by Embiid but recovered to dunk the ball right over his opponent.

Kyshawn George dropped 20 points, seven rebounds, nine rebounds. His growth as a playmaker has been most impressive for me. He threw a crazy lob to Cam Whitmore:

Washington was up big after three quarters, but the Sixers scored 32 in the fourth. The game went into overtime with Philly scoring 13 in the extended period.

Overall, the team was very competitive and had this game won for three quarters. Inexperience took over as the team could not close out. McCollum and Middleton had some costly mistakes as well.

Wizards will play their next game on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday, October 30th.

I will post the live game photos sometime later this week.

Kyshawn George Full Postgame Interview

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Wizards fall to the Bucks 133-120

Season opener for the Wizards as they face off against the Bucks. They fall short 120-133 on the road. This was Khris Middleton’s first time back in Milwaukee since the trade last season and he looked like the championship version of himself. 23 points, 6 rebounds, and made three 3-pointers. Looked very healthy and had a great feel on the game. This is the healthiest he’s looked in years tbh. Kyshawn George started his second season very strong with 21 points nine rebounds and four assists. He also connected on three 3-pointers. For a stretch, he played point guard and looked very comfortable in that role. With no player on the roster showing they are a clear-cut point guard, it will be interesting to see him being put in that position more. Tre Johnson looked great in his debut, scoring 16 points and making four three-pointers. He also set some franchise records. His four three-pointers are tied with Jarrell Eddie a rookie in 2015 for most made threes in a Wizards rookie debut. His 16 points make him the first Wizards rookie since Tom Gugliotta in 1992 to score 15 or more in their NBA debut. The kid looked great, hitting multiple jumpers consecutively at a point. Alex Sarr put up 10 points and 12 rebounds. He did not attempt a single three-pointer this game, marking the first time he hasn’t shot one. He looked good on his rolls to the basket and I expect this aggression to keep up. Even though it was a loss, it was a good measuring game for the young wizards to see where they stand. They cut into the lead several times, showing resilience. Their next game will be on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Thanks for reading The Stop and Pop. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for the latest news in the basketball world. See you next week—and until then, keep your dribble tight and your release smooth.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jarrettlspence.substack.com/subscribe

Will Alex Sarr’s Shot Selection Stay Close to the Basket?

Sarr has made an amazing effort on changing his game and being more assertive getting to the rim. With his shot diet changing, he can punish defenses utilizing his length and athleticism inside.

I mentioned in a previous newsletter that Sarr has two-way star potential. If he continues his great play on defense and simplifies his offense, he can become the star he was drafted to become.

How CJ McCollum plays with this young squad?

CJ McCollum has averaged 20 points per game for 10 straight seasons. I don’t expect that average to be broken yet, especially on a team that does not have a clear go-to scorer other than himself. He has embraced a mentor role with this young team so McCollum will be leaned on a lot for this team. Being a player who knows how to play on and off the ball, he can show the young squad how to score effectively on offense. But the next question would be, will he be with the team post-trade deadline?

What Vets will be with Washington after the Trade Deadline?

Veteran leadership is very important in this league. McCollum, Khris Middleton, Anthony Gill and Marvin Bagley are the only players on the team to have been in the league for at least five seasons. While all their roles are different, they are all valuable in some form for this team’s development. McCollum would be the one player who has the highest trade value, still being a high-scoring combo guard. Many contenders can use his services. Middleton picked up his player option and will be earning $33.3 million this season. A lot of teams might not want to take a chance on the former All-Star with his injury history over recent years.

Which Young Player will Make the Leap to Star?

My pick of which one of the young players will make the leap to become the star of the team is Kyshawn George. He talked about how the team is pushing him to become more of a leader on the team:

His defense is already ahead of schedule, showing great potential on that side during his rookie season. Now being asked to play a bigger role on offense. His added strength was paying dividends in the preseason.

The full offensive package was on display against the Pistons:

His strong play as a scorer, defender and playmaker will elevate him to become Washington’s best player out the young core.

Will There be Room to Develop All the Young Talent?

The Wizards are loaded with young players. This season will be crucial to see who emerges as the core of the future. My guess is that Carrington, Coulibaly, George and Sarr are the four the team will build around. The rest will have to show that their value to the team and prove why they belong. It will be hard because there are 12 players on the team with three years or less of NBA experience. Some will be the odd men out when it comes to the rebuild.

Got takes? Want to have your latest article featured in this newsletter? Hit the comment section, send a message or tag me on Threads @JL_On_Hoops and let’s talk.

⸻

Thanks for reading The Stop and Pop. Don’t forget to like, share and subscribe for the latest news in the basketball world. See you next week—and until then, keep your dribble tight and your release smooth.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jarrettlspence.substack.com/subscribe

The Wizards close out their preseason in a 98-119 loss against the Pistons.

Bub Carrington went down with a knee injury in the first quarter and the team decided to sit him out the rest of the game. Hopeful his status is good to go on opening night. He was on the bench with the team at the end of the game so that is a good sign.

Kyshawn George played great this game scoring 20 points on 8/11 shooting. He played point for a short stretch of the game and looked great. He was also the primary defender on Cade Cunningham. His second year will be special as he is starting to grow more as a two way player.

Corey Kispert looked good as well. Even though he was 1/6 from shine the arc, he looked good going to the basket. Alex Sarr also was being aggressive, knocking down all six of his free throw attempts. He finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. Kispert finished with 12 points.

CJ McCollum finished with 17 points and four rebounds. He went 4/7 from the 3-point line.

The Wizards will finish their preseason 1-2. They will face off against the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday October 22nd. I’m eager to see what starting lineup Brian Keefe decides to go with. I would think it would be Bub, Cj, Kyshawn, Khris Middleton and Sarr.

Got takes? Want to have your latest article featured in this newsletter? Hit the comment section, send a message or tag me on Threads “@JL_On_Hoops and let’s talk.

⸻

Thanks for reading The Stop and Pop. Don’t forget to like, share and subscribe for the latest news in the basketball world. See you next week—and until then, keep your dribble tight and your release smooth.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jarrettlspence.substack.com/subscribe

The Wizards’ second preseason game resulted in a win over the Knicks, 120-103. A strong bounce-back game for the team, as they aim to build more chemistry ahead of the regular season. Tre Johnson was impressive tonight, as he got the start. He scored 10 points and had some impressive 3-balls. I was really happy to see him moving off the ball, coming off pin downs. He looks confident with the ball either in his hands or coming off screens. He finished with 10 points.

Will Riley was great off the bench. He scored 17 points in 26 minutes, a team high for minutes. He was playing off cuts to the basket and his ability to create off the dribble was on display as well.

Both Tre and Will work really well off the ball which is a good sign for rookies. Young players who know how to play off the ball can help them transition into the pro game. Kyshawn George looks and plays stronger. Getting to the basket and able to take contact, holding his defender off by the hip on drives. He scored 11.

Bub had a nice bounce back game scoring 8 points and was 3/3 from the field while dishing out four assists.

Vukcevic came off the bench and provided good scoring with 15. He should be a lock for the backup center but Bagley played well also. Bagley got the start tonight and scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

This team has a lot of young talent and the coaching staff has some tough decisions to make as far as their rotation. But this is a good thing. The more talent on the roster which will bring out the competition for minutes, making everyone better.

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The Wizards fall to the Raptors 113-112 as the older brother of Alex Sarr, Olivier, scored an alley-oop off a lob from out of bounds. The game was down to the wire and had some great moments with this young Wizards team.

The first takeaway is how Alex Sarr played with aggression. He only took one 3-pointer which resulted in a make. The majority of his touches, he was looking to attack the basket. He discussed his desire to become a more effective threat around the rim, and he demonstrated this during the game. He finished the game with 12 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks.

The second takeaway was Kyshawn George’s defense. He did not have much going offensively but he was very active defensively with four blocks and nine rebounds. He also scored 11 points on 3/14 FG.

Next, the vets of CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton. They played great in their minutes. McCollum had some plays within his midrange bag, scoring 19 points. I expect him to continue his streak of 20 ppg seasons. Middleton looked good as well, scoring 11 points but also grabbing nine boards and dishing out five assists. He may not be the same scoring threat he once was but if he can become a do-it-all player for Washington, that will be a key factor for the development of this young team. A veteran showing that you don’t need to score 20 to have an impact on the game will be a great lesson for the rest of the young core to learn.

Cam Whitmore came off the bench and scored 10. He looked good playing off the ball, scoring off cuts. Tre Johnson also looked great as the backup point guard in this game. He didn’t score much, only scoring eight but he grabbed seven rebounds. Some of his shots came from offensive rebounds. Will Riley had some nice plays as well, almost winning the game at the free-throw line before Sarr made the game-winner.

Overall I did like how the team played. Most of the players played in this game. Looking forward to how the team’s performance today carries over into tomorrow’s game against the Knicks.

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Alex Sarr has been working on some things during his first NBA offseason. One of them is being more efficient with his touches on offense, working closer to the basket. On this episode, I give my thoughts on this new development. Clips of Will Dawkins and Alex Sarr’s recent interviews are in this episode as well.

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