The Washington Wizards completed their fifth and final NBA Summer League game on Saturday, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 91-79. No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr sat out, but fellow 2024 first-rounders Carlton “Bub” Carrington (13 points, 15 rebounds) and Kyshawn George (9 points) turned in solid days at the office, with G-Leaguer Taylor Funk being the star of the day (29 points, four rebounds, five assists, eight made threes).
After bringing in a stacked draft class, Washington finished 3-2 this summer, an overall positive showing. It wasn't a completely smooth ride, but the five-game slate was a step in the right direction for the long-struggling team's rebuild.
What did the nation's capital's hoops squad learn in Las Vegas?
Bub Carrington will score more than Alex Sarr this season
Carrington was active on the offensive end, averaging 15.8 points per game on 32.9% shooting and 5.2 assists across 32.6 minutes across all five contests. The Pitt alum also crashed the boards, averaging 7.4 rebounds per game.
While Carrington won't immediately challenge Jordan Poole and Malcolm Brogdon for playing time, he showed the potential that could lead him to be one of their replacements down the line. For now, he'll most likely be Deni Avdija's replacement in the second unit after the Israeli international got traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for a package that included Brodgon and the 14th overall pick, which Washington used to select Carrington.
The 19-year-old nearly had a signature moment in the loss to Portland, coming up with a steal and missing a buzzer-beater jumper to send the game to overtime. Carrington sounded off after the game, showing the competitive fire that got him this far in his basketball career, via The Washington Post's Ben Golliver.
“I’m about competing to the end,” he said. “I grew up that way. I was bred that way. I’ve always been taught to play to the last whistle. I wish I would have hit the shot. I’m showing people that the Wizards traded for me [on draft day] for a reason. I’m showing people that I belong in this league, too.”
While Sarr was the headliner of Washington's draft class, Carrington may be ahead of him offensively. The French big man scored just 5.5 points per game on a putrid 19.1% shooting clip in four Summer League games, including a 0-for-15 showing against the Blazers. He followed that up with a two-point, 1-for-6 outing against the Sacramento Kings.
While there were concerns about Sarr's scoring abilities in the pre-draft process, these numbers were a sobering reminder of how he is from becoming an effective scorer at the NBA, via Bullets Forever's Greg Finberg.
“As the Wizards' highest pick since Otto Porter over a decade ago, Sarr entered Summer League with lofty expectations,” Finberg said. “Those expectations were far from met, and that’s putting it nicely. Every concern about Sarr’s game during the pre-draft process was exposed as truth in Las Vegas. Lack of strength: check. Poor hands: check. Limited offensive bag: check. Inefficient shooting: check. Basically, everything that could go wrong on offense, went wrong.”
While Sarr shined with his passing and defensive skills, expect Carrington to score more points this upcoming season. The No. 2 overall pick has plenty of time to develop his offensive repertoire, but it'll take a while.
Kyshawn George will get meaningful minutes in 2025-26
Washington's 24th overall selection is unlikely to make a huge impact this season, but he flashed the makings of a quality NBA wing this summer. The Miami alum averaged 9.4 points per game on 51.7% shooting, including a red-hot 47.6% clip from beyond the arc.
On the defensive end, George guarded every position other than center, totaling four steals and three blocks. That level of versatility and effort will be essential ingredients to his “three and D” prospects at the next level.
The 20-year-old has a way to go, though, before he's ready to take the next step. George totaled 17 turnovers compared to just 10 assists, as his handles and passing weren't up to par. However, the Switzerland international is doing well for someone with just one season of college experience. Once he develops the weaker areas in his game, he could turn out to be a good value pick.
The Wizards have hidden G-League gems
Don't be surprised if a couple of Washington's two-way contract players spend more time in the big leagues this season. Funk, of course, was the headliner, averaging 11.6 points per game across just 17.8 minutes, with a 43.6% field goal percentage and a 45.7% clip from long range, culminating with his explosion against the Bucks. The 26-year-old made a case to make the Wizards' NBA roster right away.
Another standout was Pitt alum Justin Champagnie. The 23-year-old averaged 13 points and six boards a game across four Summer League contests, a continuation of his strong finish last season. After signing with Washington in February, he averaged 5.9 points per game with 3.5 rebounds across 15 NBA contests.
With the Wizards having far from the deepest roster in the league, Champagnie should get even more run at the top level this season as a reserve.
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