The Washington Wizards didn't just win without two of their core pieces against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, but they had their most dominant performance in almost two years. Their 132-113 win was their highest margin of victory (+19) since Jan. 13, 2024, when they beat the Hawks 127-99 on the road.
Both No. 6 overall pick Tre Johnson (hip) and second-year wing Kyshawn George (illness) missed the contest, which makes the Wizards' performance even more impressive. George is third on the team with 16.5 points per game this season while leading in assists (4.9) and steals (1.1), and Johnson is fourth with 11.5 points.
Washington thrived thanks not only to quality individual performances, but team-oriented basketball. The squad totaled 30 assists, and five different players had two-plus dimes. Veteran forward Khris Middleton led with 12, while second-year guard Bub Carrington had six off the bench. Veteran guard CJ McCollum and third-year guard Bilal Coulibaly each added four as well, and head coach Brian Keefe shouted out the latter player in his postgame presser.
“Yeah, you obviously see some explosiveness,” he told ClutchPoints when asked about the 21-year-old's offensive impact. “I thought early in the game, he was the one who got downhill and got into the paint that led to some of the spray outs. You know, he's still getting used to playing with that starting lineup. He's only played four or five games with that group. But we’re starting to see him be able to initiate, play with pace, because he can cause havoc with his speed. I thought we saw that really early in the game, and that's how we got a lot of our threes early was that penetration.”
Wizards' young core can shine if utilized properly
Coulibaly has balanced his dunking prowess with passing acumen in the nine games he's played this season. The 6-foot-7, 195-pounder has 12 dunks (1.3 per game), and 23.5 percent of his field-goal attempts are dunks thus far, per Basketball Reference. It's easy to see why when he produces highlights like this:
🗣️ BILAL! 🗣️ COULIBALY! pic.twitter.com/xrjtvZOCMC
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 26, 2025
Meanwhile, Coulibaly has also notched four assists in five different contests this season, which is a product of him getting downhill and kicking out to open shooters. For example, the French international assisted on three three-point shots made in the first quarter on Tuesday, as Keefe alluded to.
On the other hand, Coulibaly's still a weak three-point shooter, as he's shooting 27.6 percent from deep this season and 30.8 percent in his career. The two-time Rising Star is also a limited dribbler, relying on his crossover and quick first step to blow by defenders. Luckily, he doesn't need handles like Allen Iverson to be effective for Washington. For now, he can focus on defense and rim penetration while gradually improving those other areas.
That same logic applies to the Wizards' other young players. For example, Carrington had one of his best games of the season by shooting and passing out of the midrange and perimeter, which are his biggest strengths. Additionally, second-year center Alex Sarr continued his new habit of using his seven-foot, 205-pound frame to dominate in the paint offensively. The 20-year-old notched 27 points (11-15 FG, 1-2 3-point) with 11 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals over 38 minutes. He now has seven 20-plus point games in 15 outings this season after having 10 in 67 appearances last year.
Meanwhile, George can contribute in every facet of the game, so he'll be another asset when he returns. That could be as soon as Friday night's road date with the Indiana Pacers, who have the NBA's worst record at 2-16. The Wizards are a half-game ahead at 2-15.
Conversely, Johnson will be out for a minimum of two weeks, per Monumental Sports Network's Chase Hughes. However, if Washington's coaching staff keeps utilizing its other young players' strengths while relying on steady production from veterans like McCollum (46 points on Tuesday), Middleton, and guard Corey Kispert (39 points over the last two games), the squad has a chance to be competitive on most nights.
The Wizards, who need to finish within the bottom four slots of the NBA standings to guarantee they'll keep their top-eight protected lottery pick next summer, aren't focused on winning yet. But their young core will develop faster by not getting blown out constantly, as being in closer games will keep it more engaged.
Although Tuesday's result won't be the norm, Washington has already lost by 15-plus points nine times. The goal should be to have more games like its 121-120 defeat to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, and winning a handful of those would help the group's confidence.
After their NBA Cup contest agains the Pacers on Friday, the Wizards will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday before playing the Philadelphia 76ers on the road on Tuesday.
