Notebook after day one of the Washington Wizards' 2026 training camp
The Washington Wizards have officially opened training camp with Tuesday marking the first of five practices this week, including the open practice inside Capital One Arena on Thursday. Notes from day one:
Theme of Day One: Defense
After both head coach Brian Keefe and general manager Will Dawkins made clear that defense was going to be a point of emphasis, the Wizards set the tone with exactly that.
Both Bub Carrington and Keefe pointed to day one being all about the defense with a "different way we went about it" in terms of install. Yet after Keefe pointed to his pleasure with both the intensity and communication, Carrington reminded why the Wizards don't have a choice in training camp.
"We were last in the league in defense last year which means we were bad all around."
For Trae Young, he enters the season with a chance to change the narrative about his defense. Yet he knows he'll have his work cut out for him, admitting he will likely be, "the weak link on the team defensively” but can still give effort to make it challenging.
Injury Updates
As expected, center Alex Sarr was a limited participant as he recovers from foot surgery, while head coach Brian Keefe also noted that Tristan Vukcevic was limited with a hip injury. Veteran Khris Middleton, who drew consistent praise during media day, was also a partial participant. Meanwhile Jamir Watkins was the lone player to not participate as he recovers from his ACL surgery.
Roster Notes
How the Wizards mesh together on the floor is a question for Oct. 8 to begin sorting out ahead of the season opener, but head coach Brian Keefe sees the different traits that multiple new pieces add to the team.
Keefe pointed to Trae Young being a "great decision maker" who makes the game easier for his teammates, while Anthony Davis' unselfish style as an anchor makes him a "blender-type of guy" capable of playing across multiple lineups. The need for rebounding has been made clear where Deandre Ayton adds "physicality" to the lineup, while Middleton's "super high IQ" and NBA experience adds intrigue to just how big his role is along an upgraded rotation.
Yet maybe Justin Champagnie is the forgotten player, despite leading the team in win shares one season ago while serving as a vital piece in the rotation at the wing and four. What that role materializes into in his fourth season with the team is a question for the season to answer, but Keefe admitted he has "huge trust" in Champagnie when he's on the floor.
"He does really valuable things to any lineup he’s played with and he’s done that since he’s got here. He will continue to do that.”
