Similar to Eastern Conference teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets, the Washington Wizards took full advantage of the 2025 NBA Draft. All of the prospects that the Wizards selected have the talent and potential to be impactful players for Washington. In Summer League, their rookie trio even had the opportunity to show off their skills and overall strengths.
One Expectation For Each Washington Wizards Rookie
Like all rookies, the Wizards initiates need to improve certain parts of their games. With opening night fast approaching, now is the time to identify what each rookie needs to work on during his freshman season. Let’s dive in.
Tre Johnson
Expectation: Improving Defensively
After missing out on Rutgers forward Ace Bailey, who the Utah Jazz snatched right out of their clutches, the Wizards used the sixth overall pick to select Texas wing Tre Johnson. Standing at 6-foot-6, Johnson was one of the premier perimeter prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft. Unquestionably, he’s a lights-out shooter with the ability and confidence to take and make the tough ones. On top of that, Johnson has flashed playmaking upside, utilizing his scoring to open up the floor for others.
In the two games that Johnson played at Summer League, his ability to score the ball was on full display. Against the Phoenix Suns, he tallied 18 points on 7-13 shooting (3-5 from 3) in a loss. In their win over the Brooklyn Nets, he put up 21 points, shooting 7-11 from the floor (2-6 from 3).
It suffices to say, Johnson’s scoring prowess is clearly his strength and the Wizards should look forward to that. However, like many players whose focus is tilted to their offense, he has to improve on the defensive end.
To be fair, Johnson was the Longhorns main offensive option.
In that role, he had to focus most of his energy on that end. Furthermore, he isn’t necessarily awful on the defensive end, as he can have nice defensive plays. Nevertheless, he needs to be more consistent and more of a force.
With that in mind, Johnson should have more offensive help than he did at Texas in the form of players like Bub Carrington, Khris Middleton, and CJ McCollum. As a result, he can split his energy much more evenly, allowing him to put more effort into defense. Ultimately, if he can improve in that regard, Johnson will be a player that the Wizards can reliably start.
Will Riley
Expectation: Getting Stronger
The Wizards obtained Illinois forward Will Riley in a draft-day trade that sent the 18th overall pick to the Jazz.
In Riley, Washington has another gifted offensive player. The 6-foot-8 wing’s offensive talents lie in his ability to get to the rim, his perimeter shot-making, and his upside as a secondary playmaker. He also demonstrated excellence as a passer and playmaker in a secondary capacity. Those skills were seen in Riley’s Summer League outing against the Nets.
The area that Riley needs to improve in is his lack of strength. While he does embrace physicality on his drives, his lack of strength can cause him to be bumped off course by stronger players. That leads to serious questions regarding how his offense translates to the NBA, where he has even more of a chance to be outmuscled.
Riley’s lack of strength is also an issue on defense. Opposing offensive players can straight bully through him to get to the rim. As a result, he needs to take this upcoming season to get stronger and add weight to his frame. If he can do that, his game becomes easier to play.
Jamir Watkins
Expectation: Up His Efficiency
With the 43rd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Wizards selected Florida upperclassman Jamir Watkins.
A 6-foot-7 wing, Watkins is archetypal of the jack-of-all-trades. He excels as a defender and slasher. He can also handle the ball and make solid passing reads. However, it’s clear that he needs to improve his efficiency, especially if the Wizards are looking at him to play a 3-and-D role.
With that in mind, Watkins shot poorly in Summer League, converting just 21.9% of his 3-point attempts. He wasn’t the most efficient in college either, shooting just 32.5% from 3 for the Seminoles across all four years. Watkins is an NBA-level defender but if he wants to stick around, let alone play meaningful minutes, he needs to take this season to improve his offense.
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