Heading into next season, there's plenty of hype surrounding the Washington Wizards and their ongoing rebuild.
The additions of Tre Johnson, Will Riley and Cam Whitmore headline a variety of moves this offseason that have only added excitement about what Brian Keefe's squad may look like when the season begins,
Not to mention the acquisition of CJ McCollum this offseason adds to the hope that another veteran mentor alongside Khris Middleton could be the keys to a breakout season for one of the young prospects already on the Wizards roster.
Of the breakout candidates to monitor, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Whitmore are among the top names to watch.
Even Bilal Coulibaly was among the top of the list prior to a recent injury in EuroBasket that imposed a bit of a setback for the French product heading into year three.
And while there's never any real pros to take away from an injury, Coulibaly's setback could pave the way for another breakout candidate to enter the conversation.
That player? Kyshawn George.
Kyshawn George showed plenty of flashes of what he had to offer as a rookie last season. As a former first-round pick, with raw talent and a seemingly very high upside, it was easy to see why the Wizards took a swing on the Miami product's upside.
As an oversized guard with great size, underrated playmaking and a developing jumper, George looked to be at the very least a lock to develop into a reliable role player in Washington.
However, when the offseason began, George's strides shown in Summer League, especially with how more fluent his jumper looked, George quickly made it clear that his ceiling was much higher than expected.
Now, with a clear pathway to potentially emerge as a starter courtesy of Coulibaly's injury and George's familiarity in Brian Keefe's system, the forward could be poised for a breakout season of his own.
It's clear that George has the talent to take a step, and if his play in Summer League didn't prove it, his flashes in FIBA EuroBasket play with Team Canada did.
George has everything he needs to put together a breakout year and if he's able to emerge as a big time playmaker for the Wizards next season, not only could he help himself, but it would be a big relief for the Wizards front office who is desperately seeking validation that their swings in the NBA Draft are panning out.
That said, if there's any good to come out of Coulibaly's injury, it's the potential that George could be set for a huge season.