Wizards interesting lineup change leads to first preseason win over Raptors

The Washington Wizards entered Friday night’s matchup with the Toronto Raptors winless after two preseason games. 

With head coach Brian Keefe looking for a winning recipe, the first-year coach relied on a bold lineup change to get the job done. 

Wizards start rookie over big free agent addition

In the offseason, the Wizards signed free agent Jonas Valanciunas to a three-year deal. The addition of the big man seemed to raise questions about the veteran’s pursuit of an NBA Championship and the team’s state of rebuilding. 

Nonetheless, the team had a vision for the center in their lineup which led to the team slotting the 32-year-old into the starting lineup from the jump. Through the first two games of the preseason, the Wizards starting five consisted of Jordan Poole, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyle Kuzma, Alex Sarr, and of course Valanciunas. 

However, after their lackluster performances in the first two games, the Wizards rolled out a new starting lineup for the team’s second matchup with the Raptors. 

Washington elected to insert rookie Kyshawn George into the team’s starting lineup in place of Valanciunas. With Kuzma being slotted to power forward and Sarr manning the center position, the move seemed to help the Wizards find success. 

In the start, George finished the night with nine points, five assists, and four rebounds on 75% shooting from field goal range. While his stats don’t jump out at you, the Miami product's ability to serve as an extra ball handler in addition to his ability to stretch the floor at his size made the lineup look a bit more versatile. Not to mention the rookie's impressive defense in the first couple of games. 

Washington was able to play at a faster pace which led to a more efficient night from the rest of the offense. Meanwhile, Valanciunas found himself in a bench role for the first time in his career. 

The former top-five pick played 22 minutes in the win totaling 12 points and eight rebounds. 

It’s unclear if this lineup change is permanent, but it shows a willingness of the Wizards to make it a primary focus to develop their young squad in hopes of winning sooner rather than later. 

If Valanciunas accepts a role off the bench, he could be the anchor in the frontcourt that helps the team’s bench unit keep pace against tough competition across the league. That said, the better the bench is, the higher the team's chances of being competitive will be.