There's no denying that the Washington Wizards start to the season was absolutely abysmal. In fact, their success in the whole year of 2024 was everything but impressive.
Washington failed to put consistent efforts on the floor as the losses continued to pile up as the season progresses. And while losing may be what's best for the Wizards in the long haul, the players on the team and the fans supporting them don't want the feeling of losing weighing down on them after every game.
As a result, the Wizards young group has shown signs of elevating their play over recent weeks and now, they enter 2025 with a clean slate. Following their 125-107 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, not only is it Washington's first blowout win of the season, but it allowed for the Wizards to start 2025 off 1-0.
That said, here's a look at the top takeaways in the team's dominant win over the Bulls at home.
Jordan Poole returns to action in a big way
Jordan Poole missed the last couple of games with a hip injury, but the guard returned to the court on Wednesday and made it clear his injury wouldn't hold him back from doing what he does best. The Michigan product finished the night with 30 points, three rebounds and two assists, while shooting 10/21 from field goal range and 6/13 from beyond the arc.
In addition to his offensive outing, the guard managed to add three steals on the defensive end in the team's win.
Justin Champagnie remains in starting lineup despite full health
Justin Champagnie has been a growing headline for the Wizards over the last couple of weeks. The forward entered this season as a reserve for Washington, nothing more. However, as the team continues to deal with injuries, the former Pitt standout has continued to use the opportunity to showcase to Brian Keefe and the rest of the team that he's deserving of more minutes.
On Wednesday, Champagnie proved to have caught the attention of Keefe and his staff by being awarded the start against the Bulls despite the team returning to full health. In the win, the wing finished with 15 points, two rebounds and an assists while shooting an efficient 6/8 from field goal range and 2/3 from three.
If he continues to show out like he has been, he could be a hidden gem for Washington moving forward.
Wizards bench is providing solid minutes
The Wizards bench has seemingly come alive over the last couple of weeks. Washington has always had the talent on their bench unit, but consistency has always been an issue. Nonetheless, against Chicago, the team's second unit proved that they can keep the Wizards in any game.
Washington's reserves ended the night with 58 points outscoring the Bulls second unit by 25 points.
Looking ahead, the Wizards will return to action on Friday on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans