Washington Wizards Ready to Build on Preseason Win, Face Detroit

The Washington Wizards put together an encouraging performance together in the preseason opener on Thursday night after taking down the New York Knicks in a two point road win.

Yet the final score mattered less than the process as the Wizards saw their defense stick out after committing to a turnaround all offseason. AJ Dybantsa's four steals flashed his two way impact as a rookie, while the size of both Anthony Davis and Deandre Ayton through the opening half was hard to ignore, setting the Wizards up to win the rebounding differential in a rare pivot from last season.

Washington also made 18 of their 27 attempts, a percentage they'll look to improve upon yet expecting that free throw shooting materializes into a strength with multiple players along the roster capable of drawing contact.

Though Davis and Ayton joined Trae Young as Wizards to not suit up in the second half with rookie Felix Okpara playing all but nearly four minutes to close the game, finishing with seven points and six rebounds in his unofficial debut. Between Dybantsa's steals and Okpara's rebounds, head coach Brian Keefe noted he was impressed with the defensive impact from the Wizards' rookies as Dybantsa pointed to the Wizards' defensive stops as the highlight of the preseason opening win.

Kyshawn George, who finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists, also rounded out the starting five, though Keefe also pointed to a starting lineup for opening night as undecided. Yet George showed off his versatility after serving as the primary ball handler behind Trae Young, adding another layer of responsibilities for the former first round pick in his third year. Bub Carrington was also credited as an offensive spark for Washington after totaling 11 points on 50% shooting in over 17 minutes.

Now, the Wizards will look to build on that momentum when they take on the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, Oct. 10 for a 7 PM tipoff inside Capital One Arena.

After materializing into inactive on Thursday night, head coach Brian Keefe noted that it is "trending that way" for Alex Sarr to be available on Saturday, though a final determination will be made on Saturday. Sarr returned to live contact drills this past week after undergoing offseason foot surgery.

Keefe also said the team will evaluate Khris Middleton pregame after noting during training camp that the veteran will ramp up his workload through preseason.