Bullets Forever

I asked Brian Keefe why he played Khris Middleton over Will Riley tonight: “Obviously, we trust Khris. And we trust Will. Tre [Johnson] went out late, so we wanted to give Khris the opportunity tonight. Will's going to be in the mix too.”

AJ Dybantsa warms up ahead of his NBA debut:

Some insane Justin Champagnie numbers from Wednesday’s win: Plus-minus: +17 (game high) Offensive rating: 138.6 (game high) Defensive rating: 102.3 Net rating: 36.3 (game high)

A few differences from the Wizards’ 2025-26 opening-roster to their 2026-27 roster: • Kyshawn George: 6’9”, 225 lbs. (+14 lbs.) • Will Riley: 6’10”, 200 lbs. (+10 lbs.) • Alex Sarr: 7’1”, 248 lbs. (+12 lbs.) • AJ Dybantsa is officially 6’9”

The Washington Wizards’ court for the 2026 NBA Cup:

AJ Dybantsa warming up before his home debut

Alex Sarr said he’s excited to play next to another elite rim protector in Anthony Davis: “Once you get past me, you’ve got AD on the back, and the other way around … He’ll allow me to be more aggressive in pursuing blocks, knowing I have someone to rebound the ball.

AJ Dybantsa on why he doesn’t feel pressure: “I have a lot of guys around me that are vets, that are proven winners. It takes a lot off my shoulders … I don’t have to come in and be forced to do a lot of things. I can ease my way into it and learn how to play the right way.”

Best jerseys I've seen so far at the Wizards open practice: • Anthony Gill (elite jersey) • Rookie John Wall • Gold Agent 0 • AJ Dybantsa (lots of them) • Gold Caron Butler

Personal news: I’m going all-in on covering the Wizards. I’m starting a Substack to cover the team on-site and full time — daily news stories, practice notes, player quotes and more from Capital One Arena and beyond. Subscribe to “Wizards Central” below: wizardscentral.com/