The Washington Wizards began the new year with a blowout win over the Chicago Bulls to kickoff 2025.
Entering Friday night's matchup, the Bulls had the opportunity to redeem themselves and right their wrongs of falling to the worst team in the league just a few games back. Meanwhile, the Wizards stood in position to show their last win over Chicago wasn't a fluke.
However, on Friday night, the Bulls showed up looking to make a statement and they did exactly that with a 138-105 win over the Wizards. As a result, Washington sits at the bottom of the league with a 6-30 record as the race for the No.1 overall pick continues to heat up.
Nonetheless, as we do after every game, here's a few takeaways from the Wizards loss on Friday night.
Jared Butler is deserving of a larger role
Jared Butler has continued to stack several impressive games over the course of the Wizards five-game losing streak over the last two weeks.
The Baylor product has struggled to find a role throughout his NBA journey, but as he capitalizes on the opportunities that Washington and first-year head coach Brian Keefe has given him over the last few games, it's clear that Butler is deserving of a larger role and increased minutes for Washington.
In Friday's loss, Butler ended the night with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, while shooting 8/12 from field goal range and 50% from beyond the arc.
Jordan Poole puts up efficient scoring night, increases trade value
Jordan Poole was listed as a game-time decision prior to the Wizards showdown with the Bulls. However, the guard managed to suit up on Friday and as usual the former Michigan star led Washington in scoring.
In only 24 minutes of play, Poole managed to account for 22 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists, while shooting 7/13 from FG range and 6/9 from three.
The 25-year-old continues to improve his efficiency on the offensive end and as a result he puts the Wizards front office in an entering spot as his value on the trade market could be increasing. As Washington continues their rebuild, they'll have to decide over the next month whether Poole is apart of their long term plans or if it would be wise to cash in on the guard's play so far this season.
Nonetheless, while there's still many unknowns for the Wizards squad moving forward, one thing for certain is the team's desire to win the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes ahead of the offseason should be the priority down the stretch.