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After fans got a chance to see the top overall pick in AJ Dybantsa and Will Riley through the first two games and Tre Johnson in the opener, the trio are now sidelined as Tuesday marked a chance for the rest of the Washington Wizards roster to step up against a Chicago Bulls team that posed some matchup questions. After a hot start, it ended with the first loss of Summer League after the Bulls took a 99-87 finish.
While the Wizards are set to take the court on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers at 10:30 PM on ESPN, takeaways from the Wizards' first loss of Summer League:
Frontcourt developments...even if the Wizards were at full strength, Tuesday night marked a chance for former Tennessee forward Felix Okpara to showcase his efforts on the defensive end after ending his college career as an All-SEC selection. It came with spirts from Okpara, who registered one steal and one block to go with 12 points (5-of-9 shooting), four rebounds and two assists. Though he could have been more aggressive on the boards at times, the second round pick was active keeping loose balls alive on the night with his first successful tip ultimately leading to an early bunny in the paint off second-chance points. It also featured Okpara capitalizing on pick-and-rolls to set up the lob, an area he admitted he was excited to showcase after arriving in Washington. Whether he opens the regular season with the Wizards or Go-Go will be worth tracking, similarly with Julian Reese, who exited the game in the fourth quarter after suffering an apparent head injury. A largely quiet night ended with four points, five rebounds and one block in 11 minutes with the Baltimore native struggling to get comfortable at times.
G League Spot?...After AJ Dybantsa and Will Riley took the spotlight the first two nights, Chris Livingston took the shine after finishing with a team-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-5 from three, and four rebounds in 28 minutes. The expanded minutes gave the Go-Go guard a chance to entrench himself as a playmaker in the G League where he could ultimately provide the Wizards depth in a pinch, but Tuesday also marked another encouraging showing from UNC product Seth Trimble.
While Reece Beekman, who dazzled on Sunday, matched his three steals from Sunday's win, Seth Trimble also proved himself as a strong perimeter defender on the night with two steals to also show for it. Trimble added 13 points after draining all four free throw attempts, but with Beekman possibly becoming a wildcard for the final roster spot, Trimble is making a case for himself with a chance to elevate his scoring touch after shooting 6-of-19 from the field through three games while Tuesday marked his first made three across seven attempts in Summer League. Still, Wednesday marks a chance for both Beekman and Trimble to accentuate their case when they look to stop fifth-overall pick Keaton Wagler on Wednesday night.
Wizards Roundtable also offers a fan community. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Wizards. Create an account, click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our free community and follow for all of our coverage, analysis and more!
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While the Wizards are set to take the court on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers at 10:30 PM on ESPN, takeaways from the Wizards' first loss of Summer League:
Frontcourt developments...even if the Wizards were at full strength, Tuesday night marked a chance for former Tennessee forward Felix Okpara to showcase his efforts on the defensive end after ending his college career as an All-SEC selection. It came with spirts from Okpara, who registered one steal and one block to go with 12 points (5-of-9 shooting), four rebounds and two assists. Though he could have been more aggressive on the boards at times, the second round pick was active keeping loose balls alive on the night with his first successful tip ultimately leading to an early bunny in the paint off second-chance points. It also featured Okpara capitalizing on pick-and-rolls to set up the lob, an area he admitted he was excited to showcase after arriving in Washington. Whether he opens the regular season with the Wizards or Go-Go will be worth tracking, similarly with Julian Reese, who exited the game in the fourth quarter after suffering an apparent head injury. A largely quiet night ended with four points, five rebounds and one block in 11 minutes with the Baltimore native struggling to get comfortable at times.
G League Spot?...After AJ Dybantsa and Will Riley took the spotlight the first two nights, Chris Livingston took the shine after finishing with a team-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-5 from three, and four rebounds in 28 minutes. The expanded minutes gave the Go-Go guard a chance to entrench himself as a playmaker in the G League where he could ultimately provide the Wizards depth in a pinch, but Tuesday also marked another encouraging showing from UNC product Seth Trimble.
While Reece Beekman, who dazzled on Sunday, matched his three steals from Sunday's win, Seth Trimble also proved himself as a strong perimeter defender on the night with two steals to also show for it. Trimble added 13 points after draining all four free throw attempts, but with Beekman possibly becoming a wildcard for the final roster spot, Trimble is making a case for himself with a chance to elevate his scoring touch after shooting 6-of-19 from the field through three games while Tuesday marked his first made three across seven attempts in Summer League. Still, Wednesday marks a chance for both Beekman and Trimble to accentuate their case when they look to stop fifth-overall pick Keaton Wagler on Wednesday night.
Wizards Roundtable also offers a fan community. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Wizards. Create an account, click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our free community and follow for all of our coverage, analysis and more!
Continue reading...
