The Washington Wizards’ 1-13 record didn’t show it, but they have learned some lessons from their two seasons and their extensive rebuild.
If there’s one thing that has been said loudly in the first month of their 2025-26 campaign, it is that the score-first giants are no longer as useful as they were last season. Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma seemed more important to the Wizards at times to remain competitive than their teammates’ inefficient or apprehensive approaches, possession-savers who had little more experience understanding their spots on the floor and getting to them in a pinch.
It’s a narrative that’s becoming harder than ever to notice amid the Wizards’ brutal start, with rising stars like Keyshawn George and Alex Sars looking increasingly deserving of on-ball reps and being prioritized by a coaching staff that has largely shied away from calling many creative plays.
C.J. McCollum has been the face of increasing criticism for Page’s transition to the new era, with his sub-40% field goal percentage indicating that his shots would be better suited with redirection for the next generation of Wizards guards. Khris Middleton has been largely profiled alongside McCollum as a similarly seasoned veteran with his best scoring seasons behind him, but his quiet adaptation to a reserve rotational role within the Wizards’ young wing corps.
Middleton’s adaptation to rebuilding
His strong, 23-point start to the season indicated that he would regain his spot at the top of the Wizards’ depth chart, where he had helped the team play some strong ball following their midseason trade, and Washington continued to provide him with ample starting opportunities in each of his 11 appearances. But he has yet to log that many minutes in a contest after logging 28 minutes in three of his first four contests.
He has since escaped a brief shooting rut to fill a mid-20 point per game role, where he has quietly helped position the Wizards as a passive-shooting unit. He may not be hoisting as many 3-pointers, but he is making 37.6% for eighth-most in the league, and that’s largely due to Wizards wings like him, George, Corey Kispert and Cam Whitmore.
The Wizards coaching has been under the gun to make room for its more fringe-rotational pieces as the losses have escalated beyond the point of concern, and that’s where Middleton has accepted a more flexible position in Brian Keefe’s system. Justin Champagne is looking more and more worthy of regular impact minutes, while Will Riley’s ability to turn it on in his brief G League stint demonstrates the staff’s willingness to give him another test drive with a big league team.
Middleton and McCollum, who were acquired as expiring contracts that the front-office can turn into tradable assets, are set to make a combined $74 million this season, meaning it will be hard for them to find interest among Wizards’ teammates if they can’t prove themselves as productive contributors. But despite that hefty price tag and the increased burden of making good use of his money, Middleton has not been the developmental or possession-to-possession bottleneck he has been made out to be.
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