The Washington Wizards offseason has been full of additions as general manager Will Dawkins continues to fine tune the roster.
With the additions of several big names such as CJ McCollum and Cam Whitmore, the hype around Washington's revamped roster continues to build with a long season ahead.
Washington's not entering the year with playoff expectations, but internally, there's not one player on the roster that doesn't believe that with the recent surge of talent to join the Wizards that there's not a chance that they can't make noise in a wide open Eastern Conference.
Obviously, the two additions listed above are among the reasons why confidence is growing in the DMV.
However, two names that have contributed to the growing belief that the Wizards could be a sleeper is the incoming rookie class led by first round picks Tre Johnson and Will Riley.
Both players have began to turn heads since the joining their new team and it hasn't been solely because of their talent on the court, but also because of their approach to year one.
Following the comments from whom many would consider a homegrown veteran on the roster, Corey Kispert, it's clear that the Wizards rooks have already impressed him since arriving in the DMV:
“The talent is there, and the willingness to work hard is definitely there," Kispert said. These guys don’t have their cool jackets on.”
Kispert's comments are more than just encouraging to hear about the Wizards incoming rookies.
It was clear from the jump that talent was the least of anyones concerns entering the league, but like nearly every rookie making the leap to a professional league where players are getting paid millions almost immediately, especially first-round picks, it's easy to be distracted by the fact that they finally made it.
Nonetheless, it's great to hear that Washington's rooks remain unphased by the fact they finally made the league.
The work ethic that many people have raved about and the fact that both players seemingly have chips on their shoulders for their own respective reasons should bode well for both players moving forward.
If Washington's able to see immediate impacts from both of their top rookies this season, there's a real chance that the Wizards could shock plenty of people.
Not only could they make a run for a play-in spot if everything goes well, but there's a real chance that the NBA Rookie of the Year will reside in Washington when it's all said and done.