The Washingon Wizards concluded the preseason with a commanding 140-111 victory over the Chinese Basketball Association’s Guangzhou Long-Lions. With the regular season around the corner, Coach Scott Brooks elected to rest most of the starters. Guards Bradley Beal and John Wall were inactive and the starters who did play received very limited minutes. This gave Brooks an opportunity to evaluate the bench players who haven’t seen much action in the preseason.
The Long-Lions held on to the lead for most of the first half but the Wizards finally pulled away before halftime and never looked back.
Here’s what we learned:
1. Troy Brown Jr. has serious potential
The Wizards first-round draft who plays forward saw extended playing time against the Long-Lions. At just 19-years old, it’s not expected for Brown to jump right into the lineup but he definitely showcased his skill level and future potential when he entered the game off the bench. He was a key contributor to the Wizards’ 28-6 run which gave them the edge over the Long-Lions. In that run, he had 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. Brown’s innate ability to pass in transition is also worth noting. He finished the game with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.
Rookie Troy Brown Jr. saw extended playing time last night finishing with 21 points. After the game he talked about what he’s looking forward to in the regular season and what it was like playing with the other younger guys. #Wizards pic.twitter.com/yjcSGL9OG9
— Carita Parks (@CaritaCParks) October 13, 2018
“Troy made some good decisions,” Brooks said. “He was aggressive on his decisions – that’s something we’ve been working on with him. I thought he’s a guy who can fill the stats sheet up type of player and I thought tonight he was really good.”
“Troy has tremendous vision, so I know if I’m running in the right spot and he throws it at the rim we’re going to make something happen,” said Forward Devin Robinson. “He’s good with the ball coming off screens and he just has great vision, especially for his size and being so young. Playing with him makes my life a lot easier.”
2. Devin Robinson is really athletic and a great dunker
Undrafted rookie forward Devin Robinson took full advantage of his time in the spotlight. His athleticism and dunking ability literally stole the show. The 6’8 Robinson has serious hops and it was quite impressive. In just the 3rd quarter, he registered two alley-oop dunks and a running dunk that was set in motion off of a steal from the other side of the court. Don’t be surprised if you see Robinson competing in an NBA Dunk Contest at some point in his career.
.@drob7nson dunked A LOT tonight.
Watch all of them. #WizLions #DCFamily pic.twitter.com/5SkNbTudmB
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) October 13, 2018
Both Brown Jr. and Robinson led the team in scoring. Robinson finished with 23 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals.
3. Wizards wrapped up the preseason 4-1
The Wizards had a positive preseason only falling to the Miami Heat who will be their opponent for the regular season opener on Thursday. Heading into the preseason, Brooks challenged his team to shoot more all-around, especially from three-point range. It appears his players are taking him seriously. Forward Otto Porter Jr., who was specifically called out, caught an early rhythm last night making all of his field goal attempts including three’s before exiting the game after clocking eight minutes. Also, Wall and Beal were spotted practicing their three-point shots before the game even though they did not play.
Wall and Beal working on their 3-point game despite not playing tonight. An emphasis of Coach Brooks this season for all his players is more 3’s. @SportsJourney pic.twitter.com/S1iHOGqqAg
— Carita Parks (@CaritaCParks) October 12, 2018
Prior to the Long-Lions game, the Wizards were 165 of 357 on field goal attempts and 40 of 145 on three-point attempts. Now they just have to tighten up how many shots they actually make within those attempts.
The Wizards wrapped up the preseason in convincing fashion and overall, Brooks is pleased with the outcome.
“It’s been a good training camp,” Brooks said. “It’s a good way to close the preseason with everybody playing well going into our next 4-5 days of practice.”
#Wizards get the win tonight. Here’s my three takeaways from the game. @SportsJourney pic.twitter.com/sD6VCP61pd
— Carita Parks (@CaritaCParks) October 13, 2018