A dominant win reveals the Wizards' hard-won vision, showcasing rising talent and a revitalized approach that promises brighter days.
No team in the NBA has lost more games in the last three years than the Washington Wizards.
Since 2022-2023, they've played 275 games. 201 of those resulted in losses. Not all of those losses are created equal. As the deconstruction of the past regime commenced, the losses got harder to watch.
General Manager Will Dawkins urged fans to stay patient and trust their plan. To the casual fan, the vision seems blurry when you spend three years of bottoming out and acquiring assets.
In the Wizards' 138-117 win over the Raptors last night, fans might see the organization's plan with a new pair of prescription glasses.
"For us, it's always about the process," Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said. "Those are going to lead to the wins. Tonight we trusted that -- the defensive side and the offensive side."
Washington utilized statistical domination to outclass Toronto. It shot at a higher percentage, outrebounded it by 13, and had 18 more points in the paint.
Entering the fourth with a three-point lead, the Wizards didn't falter the way they had many times this season. They outscored the Raptors 36-17 in the final quarter
Keefe emphasized the team's desire to increase the number of paint touches in his pregame press conference. Alex Sarr's 24 minutes were impactful ones. His increased physicality allowed him opportunities down low, where he was efficient. He finished with 15 points on 7/9 shooting. He was also impactful, defending the rim.
"That's what Alex is here for," Keefe said. "That's the foundation of our defense is to protect the rim...he's the head of the snake of that for us."
There's been plenty of scrutiny towards the first draft pick of the new era of Wizards basketball, Bilal Coulibaly. Last night's performance is why the organization holds plenty of belief in the 21-year-old.
Coulibaly finished with a season-high 21 points on an efficient 8/14 shooting. His increased focus penetrating to the basket gave him much better looks at the rim. After a 3/9 shooting performance from behind the arc on Tuesday, he didn't live by the three as much, only taking four from the outside.
"I feel like I'm pretty athletic," Coulibaly said. "I get there and I just try to jump, or I can make the right play too."
The French product has struggled to stay in the lineup. He's missed 14 games already this year and missed a combined 42 games over his first two years in the league. When he's healthy, he's a real factor on defense. If he can stack consistent offensive performances like last night, he'll be an invaluable piece to a Wizards team hopeful for competitive days soon.
"I loved his activity to start the game," Keefe said. I thought it was him setting the tone. When he gets on the rim like that and grabs offensive rebounds, that's the versality we've missed with him not being in the lineup."
Coulibaly finished the night with three steals and a block.
A real indication of progress becomes visible due to the contributions across the board from the team's young core of players. Six players scored in double figures, with five of those being players the team drafted in the first round in the last three seasons.
The young core, including Tre Johnson, Sarr, Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, and Bub Carrington, combined for 86 points on 63% shooting.
George, 21, came off the heels of his worst shooting performance of the year on Tuesday, where his only field goal came with just minutes left. On Friday, his increased pressure on the rim was noticeable in his 18-point first half. He finished with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, on 69% shooting.
"I think we tried to make the simple play," George said. "We made sure we made the right play every time."
George said he didn't want to force anything and he took advantage of his matchups in the low post.
Johnson's 20 minutes off the bench were impactful in ways he hadn't shown until last night. Toronto pressure the ball heavily, preventing Johnson from getting open looks from the outside. He only ended up taking three shots from the outside.
Instead, Johnson played his best on-ball game thus far. He broke down the defense on the dribble and found himself looks at the rim. He finished with 12 points on 4/8 shooting.
The recent surge of Carrington continues to help the Wizards out in a big way. Following another excellent performance shooting the basketball, he rises his three-point percentage to an impressive 43.2%. That mark is top 20 in the NBA right now.
Additionally, his three-point shooting stands as the fourth best among players from the 2024 draft class.
This year has revealed that progress in a rebuild with players this young won't be linear. Some nights will be hard -- some of them almost impossible to watch at times. Friday's performance is what the Wizards hope a materialized team will portray down the road.
It doesn't seem like much, but the Wizards are 3-3 in their last six. Obviously, there's a long way to go and this doesn't mean they'll play this way on a nightly basis the rest of the year, but they have young players that are capable. Fans have to accept the small wins that come within the player development process. Last night was more than just a win in the standings.
"There's still a lot of work to do," George said. "I think our focus has shifted to the more simple stuff -- really making the right pass, being in the right spots, crashing the offensive boards -- really the stuff that we can control. Doing that contributes to winning."