Everything in preseason should be taken with a grain of salt, but it's noticeable who's impressing Washington Wizards head coach Brian Keefe, and who hasn't. With the Wizards no longer playing for lottery balls every season, some of the developmental players in their rotation won't be given the same leash.
There are a lot of new guys on the team. Trae Young and Anthony Davis were both on the roster last season, but Young only suited up in five games for the Wizards, and Davis didn't suit up for any. Both of them are starters and focal points of the offense now.
You then add in number one overall pick AJ Dybantsa, bringing in Deandre Ayton and Tre Mann, and signing Khris Middleton, and all of a sudden certain positions become crowded, and the Wizards will need to prioritize consistency and reliability over development and potential.
Will Riley, Bilal Coulibaly, and Justin Champagnie are likely rotation casualties
Sometimes it's not a knock on how talented the player is, but how talented the team is. All of these guys undoubtedly have NBA-level skill, but the Wizards' bench is more crowded than in years past. The moves the team made in the offseason were part of expediting the rebuilding process.
The Wizards need as much spacing as they can get from their bench, considering there isn't a lot of three-point volume in their starting lineup. Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington, and even a 35-year-old Khris Middleton are going to be incredibly valuable to the team this season simply due to their ability to space the floor.
Coulibaly hasn't been a good enough 3-point shooter, Will Riley wasn't a great deep threat in his rookie season, and Champagnie simply has an uphill battle given the talent in front of him. With Ayton being the everyday backup center, Johnson and Middleton being the team's most dangerous catch-and-shoot perimeter players, and Carrington also shooting 40+ percent from distance, these guys are simply more needed in the rotation than the others.
The starters plus those previously mentioned guys round out a nine-man rotation, and the maximum number of players in a rotation Keefe will play is likely 10. Middleton will likely be managed due to his injury history and age, leaving a wing spot up for grabs on those nights.
Having this level of depth on the wing is something that will serve the Wizards well long-term. No doubt Coulibaly's perimeter defense, Riley's self-creation, and Champagnie's versatility will be called upon this season; it just won't be as often as fans have been used to.
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