Washington Wizards: Studs and duds from the scrimmages in Orlando

Stud: Isaac Bonga

With so many of the Wizards top contributors absent from the bubble, the obvious question is ‘Who will step up to fill the void?’

If the scrimmages were any indicator, it looks like Isaac Bonga is ready for a bigger role. The 20-year-old wing was quiet in the team’s first scrimmage, finishing with just five points, one rebound, and three assists while fouling out in 22 minutes. But he exploded in scrimmage #2, dropping the first double-double of his career: 15 points, 12rebounds.

https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1287216066628685825?s=20

When the season was put on hold back in March, Bonga had already come along way since day one with the Wizards. The raw, defensively-gifted wing was starting to extend his range on the offensive end, stepping out for a few three-point attempts each night.

But what we saw from Bonga in the scrimmages was unlike anything we’ve seen this season. Bonga was assertive on the offensive end. Earlier this season, Bonga rarely looked for his own shot and mainly looked to distribute with the ball in his hands. Now, he’s looking to score.

Usually, Bonga is buried on the bottom of the offensive pecking order. And until now, it was for good reason. He just hadn’t shown much, if anything, on the offensive end.

We’ve seen what he can do on defense. On that end, he solid. Despite being the youngest player on the roster, he’s often been asked to guard the opponents’ number one option, usually fairly effectively.

Now in the bubble, we might get to see what he can do on offense, no longer hindered by the fear of the bench. So far, so good.