The Washington Wizards hosted the Golden State Warriors on Monday night, hoping to get back to .500 on the season.
Washington fell short in a 125-112 loss to the Warriors, but the team continued to show flashes of what their young team has to offer.
Between the impressive play on the floor, and their confidence to trash-talk an NBA Champion, it’s clear that the Wizards may have found a gem in their rookie class over the offseason.
Kyshawn George's play + trash talk impressed Draymond Green
Kyshawn George was drafted with the No. 24 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft. The Miami product has shown flashes since joining the Wizards, but his growing confidence and versatility continue to shine a light on his potential.
Not only is George’s confidence growing, but the Wizards coaching staff appears to be growing more confident in the 20-year-old’s play. The forward has been inserted into the starting lineup in three of Washington’s first six games. As the rising star continues to get more play time on the court, he’s become more vocal as both a leader and a trash talker.
Kyshawn told Draymond, “You can’t shoot.”
— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) November 5, 2024
Draymond: “When you were in elementary school, you were watching me win a championship and people were thinking that same thing.”
Kyshawn: “Yeah, I don’t care.”
Game recognize game‼️🤝 pic.twitter.com/1W8Ny1Nx4k
George’s ability to talk smack on the court, while also backing it up seemingly impressed Warriors’ long-time veteran Draymond Green. The four-time NBA Champion made it clear that he likes it when young players dare to talk trash on the court. Insisting it makes the game more fun, Green also acknowledged that he likes that George can back up his talk.
The first-round pick finished his night with a career-best game against Golden State. The 6-foot-8 playmaker totaled 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists on 7/19 shooting, which included six threes on the night.
Shooting 35% from three (6/17 3PT) against the Warriors helped him get to his career high, but his early confidence to keep shooting when shots aren’t falling is one reason that the team’s coaching staff loves his playstyle, and why veterans across the league are becoming fond of the young player.
Through six games, George is averaging 7.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists on 31,5% shooting from field goal range. Although he’s shooting 20.5% from three on the season, his poor shooting start has yet to discourage his confidence to keep shooting his shot on the court.
If he can find the efficiency on offense, he could be a big-time two-way player for the Wizards with the talent to develop into even more.