Trae Young's Early Playmaking Shines in Wizards Preseason Win

The Washington Wizards scrapped by the Detroit Pistons to remain perfect through two preseason games, yet it was the fast start that helped the Wizards get there.

And it was Trae Young who helped the Wizards start fast after recording eight assists -- all in the first quarter.

Young did account for three of the team's 27 turnovers, arguably the biggest concern for Washington coming out of Saturday night, but his ability to create was clear from the opening tip.

Young's impact as a facilitator was to be expected given the four-time All Star arrived with an established pedigree as one of the league's best distributors, averaging at least eight assists per game in all eight seasons in Atlanta. Now in Washington, Young is playing with arguably the most talented roster he's had around him during his NBA career with a focus on getting his teammates involved -- a trait that head coach Brian Keefe knows something is Young strives for.

"He wants to get his teammates going. He wants to distribute the ball. He wants to kick it ahead -- that stuff is contagious," Keefe said postgame. "That's going to build our team as we go."

Tre Johnson admitted the players are still "learning to grow with him," but the signs of comfort between the backcourt mates was on display in the opening quarter. One of Young's eight assists in the first quarter came in transition after Young went between his legs for a pass to a trailing Johnson, setting up the three to put the Wizards ahead by ten with roughly three minutes left in the first quarter.

It was the type of play that explains why Young "makes the game easier" for a Wizards roster that seemingly has multiple established scoring options at Keefe's disposal, yet one play of several that proved to be highlights. Young's first assist was a lob to Anthony Davis for an alley-oop, a play highlighting the impact of the double big lineup as the Pistons defender picked up Alex Sarr to leave a wide-open Davis.

A fullcourt pass to Kyshawn George also accompanied multiple transition threes facilitated by the Wizards' tempo and Young's passing through the opening quarter that helped Washington take a 40-20 lead into the first break.

Though Young finished with two points on 1-of-4 shooting, including misses on both three point attempts, it was the type of performance that exemplified why the Wizards had their impact point guard in the fold. Amid criticism around the league for the four year contract extension worth over $210 million, general manager Will Dawkins credited Young's ability to elevate the talent around him. Granted it was preseason, but Saturday proved to signal exactly that in a quiet scoring night across 23 minutes of action -- even if Young's night ended on a questionable ejection minutes into the second half.

"I feel like he makes the game easier for everybody, just with his vision and his gravity like you said, got to be in the right spots and make myself available," Tre Johnson said of Trae Young.