The Wizards must follow Luka Doncic’s advice after the Lakers’ blowout

ByNBAUSA


WASHINGTON, DC — The Washington Wizards‘ Friday night’s 142-111 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers is old news, but Lakers star Luka Doncic delivered a timeless message after the game. The 26-year-old, who scored 37 points (13-21 FG, 6-13 3-point) with 11 rebounds, 13 assists and three steals in 31 minutes, was asked what advice he has for young NBA players trying to establish themselves.

“I’m not a good man for advice … But obviously you have to work hard to get here,” he said. “It won’t be easy, a lot of people will stand in your way. But if you want this, you have to enjoy it and focus hard.”

Washington does not lack work ethic, which is why he sends three players in the Rising Stars Challenge for the second year in a row. In addition, the team had won two straight games and had been in six straight contests with t0 points or fewer before Friday’s loss, a 180-degree turnaround from the quality of play during a 1-15 stretch to start the season.

But the loss to the Lakers was a humbling reminder of how far the Wizards still are from title contention. No matter how much work they put into this rebuild, there is still an ocean of room for growth.

Los Angeles is sixth in the Western Conference at 29-18 and enters Sunday night’s matchup with the New York Knicks, just three games behind the Denver Nuggets for the second seed. He was rejected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs last season, but is poised for success after trading Doncic last year.

Washington won’t reach elite status until it gets first-team All-NBA talent like the Slovenian native, who posted a triple-double of 25 points in the first half Friday. He is the only player from the start of the play-by-play era (1996-97) to do so, which he also accomplished against the Utah Jazz in 2023, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Fortunately for the Wizards, the 2026 draft class has three players who projected All-NBA ceilings: Kansas’ Darrin Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer and BIU’s AJ Dibants. Peterson and Dibanca faced on Saturday in Lawrence, Kansas, a game Washington sent three reps to, according to ESPN. Peterson, who played only 20 minutes because of cramps, he scored 18 points (6-8 FG, 3-5 3-point) with three rebounds, three assists and one steal in a 90-82 win over the No. 14 Jayhawks, while Dibanca had 17 points (6-12 FG, 2-4 3-point) with one rebound in 3 minutes.

Peterson’s health is a concern, having played in 11 of 21 games and logging 30-plus minutes just four times, but performance on Saturday it was a short version of what Doncic had done to Washington the previous day.

The stats were different, but both players were unstoppable and performed at a higher level than anyone else on the field. The Wizards need someone who can do that consistently trading for former third-team All-NBA honoree Trae Young January was a step in the right direction.

The 27-year-old is their first star since team president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins took over in 2023, but he can’t stay long-term given his $49 million player option for next season. Landing the top three picks in the NBA draft lottery on May 10 would be a surer way to get superstar talent into the building for years to come, but the system only guarantees that the league’s worst team will be selected in the top five. No matter how many games Washington loses this season, luck will decide which pick they draw.

If the Wizards fall outside the top three, they will still add another talented prospect like UNC’s Caleb Wilson or Houston’s Kingston Flemings to their young core. However, they will likely need to add another veteran star via trade or free agency to reach the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference soon.

Alex Sarr highlights the Wizards’ unsung defensive hero on John Wall’s night

Signs for John Wall's Celebration Night on display during the first half of the game between the Washington Wizards and the Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena.
© Daniel Cucin Jr. – Imagn Images

Washington honored former point guard John Wall on Thursday with a “John Wall Celebration Night,” an event designed to present flowers to the franchise’s most iconic player of the 21st century. The organization gave out Wall bobbleheads to fans, played Wall highlights on the Jumbotron during halftime during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks and allowed him to give a halftime speech.

The five-time All-Star ended his speech by saying, “I never thought this was possible… This is my city, this is still my home. I love you all and thank you for tonight.” The team hasn’t had a winning season since playing 41 games in 2017-18, so Capital One Arena is its “home” until further notice. However, the Wizards must strive for even greater heights, having not reached the Eastern Conference Finals since 1979.

They could reach that streak by more than a day if they continue to play defense like they did against the Bucks in a 109-99 win, as they held Milwaukee to just 26 percent shooting from deep on 38 attempts. The Bucks were without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf), but this effort was no fluke. Washington also held the Portland Trail Blazers to 39 percent shooting from the field in Tuesday’s 115-111 win, a game that second-round pick Jameer Watkins finished defensively.

Sarr was talking about Watkins influence after Bucks game.

“Jamir is a pest on defense. He has a lot of steals, he’s physical with guys, so it’s uncomfortable to pick up the ball against him,” he said. “It helps us have energy to defend.”

Players like Watkins, who averaged 1.6 steals per game in January, show the Wizards can win at the rim. Once they add their cornerstone to that foundation, they’ll be ready to take off.





2026-02-01 21:35:00

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