Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr and the Wizards found good vibes in summer-league win

New York Times

14-07-2025

LAS VEGAS — This Mojave Desert outpost isn't known as the 'City of Dreams,' but for one night here, the Washington Wizards could allow themselves to envision better days sometime in the future.
Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George and Will Riley — a large part of the Wizards' young nucleus — did enough Sunday evening to show why the team invested first-round picks in them.
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Johnson, the rookie lottery pick, continued to hit shots. Sarr showed a pulse. Carrington hit a key 3. George did a bit of everything. Riley flashed potential with late baskets. And the Wizards made up for their embarrassing summer-league opener two nights earlier by eking out a narrow 102-96 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center.
Let's make something clear: Winning and losing don't mean much in the NBA Summer League. But vibes and confidence always matter, and even though this event is merely an exhibition intended to help inexperienced players prepare for the upcoming regular season, the Wizards still needed a morale boost after the Phoenix Suns throttled them Friday.
'We didn't really talk about it, but everybody knew the energy we were supposed to bring for the second game,' Sarr said. 'After losing the first game, everybody had high expectations of us doing good the second game.'
Perhaps no one needed to redeem himself more than Sarr, last year's No. 2 pick, who was outplayed Friday by incoming rookie Khaman Maluach. Sunday, Sarr filled the stat sheet with 16 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks and displayed a better motor, trying to drive to the hoop.
Alex throwin' it down 💥 pic.twitter.com/DTS1fekuza
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) July 14, 2025
If Wizards general manager Will Dawkins decides to sit Sarr, Carrington and George for the final three summer-league games, it would be on a relatively high note. Carrington hit a 3-pointer that extended Washington's lead to 98-94 with 34 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and finished with 17 points. George supplemented his 10 points with nine rebounds, six assists and five steals.
Was it perfect? Not even close.
Sarr, Carrington and George ranked in the top eight among rookies in total minutes last season, and the most optimistic of Wizards fans expected the trio, armed with regular-season experience, to dominate opponents here.
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They won Sunday, but against the likes of Egor Demin, Tyson Etienne, TJ Bamba, Drew Timme and Danny Wolf, it wasn't easy.
The regular season almost certainly will be more challenging. The Wizards will have one of the league's youngest rosters, with veteran point guard Marcus Smart likely to be traded or bought out of his contract in the months ahead and veteran big man Richaun Holmes probably traded or released from his partially guaranteed deal. Those exits would leave Washington with precious few veterans, led by forward Khris Middleton and guard CJ McCollum. Unrestricted free-agent forward Anthony Gill likely will return as the 14th or 15th man on the roster.
Johnson, the sixth pick in the NBA Draft last month, is one of the team's promising youngsters. Sunday, he scored a team-high 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting. During his lone season at the University of Texas, he gained a reputation for taking difficult shots but making those attempts. In his first two summer-league games, he has done more of the same.
In college, he needed work on the defensive end, and that's the area Wizards officials and coaches have harped on the most.
'None of the coaches or the front office care if I score,' Johnson said Sunday night. 'They just care if I play defense. That's all they talk to me about. That's all they really care about. I've just got to come out and make sure I'm putting (on) my (hard) hat on the defensive end. That's the main part I'm worried about. Scoring really comes easy to me. I've just got to be in the right spots and make the shots. I've just got to be able to guard and defend.'
Johnson said he has 'shown improvement' as a defender during his brief time practicing with the Wizards and in his two summer-league games.
At Texas, his team needed him to carry the offensive load, and with all that responsibility and extended playing time, his defense often suffered. With Washington, however, he seems to be listening to what team officials want.
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'Obviously, there's not a lot of really, really good young defenders in this league,' said Wizards summer-league coach J.J. Outlaw. 'So, we're going to have to keep working at it on that end. But he gives maximum effort all the time.'
Riley, a wing who was drafted with the No. 21 pick, scored 8 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.
'Both Tre and Will, they're very good scorers,' Sarr said. 'But they can do much more. They make the right play.'
Together, everyone did just enough Sunday night. Enough to think they're capable of doing more down the line.
(Photo of Alex Sarr: Garrett Ellwood / NBAE via Getty Images)