Tre Johnson’s ‘unbelievable’ review of Will Riley validates Wizards’ development plan

ByNBAUSA


WASHINGTON, DC — The Washington Wizards they started the last full calendar month of the season with Monday night was a 123-118 home loss to the Houston Rocketsand are close to achieving their goal of keeping their top eight protected draft picks this summer. On top of that, their young core has taken a step forward.

For example, rookie forward Will Riley talked about friends Rookie Tre Johnson’s growth after their 134-125 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.

“He’s an amazing player, obviously. He’s also a really good team-mate, he wants to see guys succeed,” said the 20-year-old. “He’ll always encourage guys, and he’ll also tell you what you’re doing wrong, which I appreciate in a teammate. He’s a great kid, incredible work ethic. He’s always in the gym, always one of the last guys there with me. He’s always competing . . .”

Riley may not have meant to praise himself when he complimented Johnsonbut he did just that when he specified that his teammate was “one of the last guys in (the gym) with me.” The “with me” part is the highlight of the statement, as it signals the togetherness between the two beginners.

While the cliché of professional athletes working day and night to get better is as old as time, the work ethic is paying off for both players. Johnson is third among 2025 draftees with a 37.4 percent 3-point clip (minimum five attempts per game), and Riley averaged 14.6 points on 47 percent shooting (37.5 percent 3-pointers) with 4.3 rebounds in 27.1 minutes in February, the first month in which he averaged 20 more minutes.

Washington is in the business of losing games this season, but these statistical gains are long-term wins. They represent growth, as Riley shot 38.2 percent (31.8 percent 3-pointers) in January and Johnson had improved his game since the beginning of the campaign.

Johnson was the Wizards’ prize tank last season, when they were led by veteran guard Jordan Poole and rookie Alex Sarr. They received the No. 6 overall pick in the draft lottery, the lowest they could have received after finishing with the second-worst record in the NBA (18-64). They missed out on star prospects Cooper Flegg and Dylan Harper, but Johnson’s shooting and promising playmaking could make him a top-tier prospect when he peaks.

Meanwhile, getting Riley is a result of last season Marcus Smart trades with the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis gave Washington a lottery-protected first-round pick in 2025 to absorb the unwanted salary of Smart, who became the No. 18 overall pick after beating the Dallas Mavericks 120-106 in their second game of the playoffs to clinch a playoff berth. The Wizards then moved back up to No. 21 in the draft and selected Riley.

Between trying to raise their lottery pick and taking advantage of cap space in a trade, Washington added two building blocks to a young core, including Sarah, second-year wing Keeshon George, second-year guard Bub Carrington and third-year guard Bilal Coulibaly. In addition to developing these players this season, he acquired stars Tree Young and Anthony Davis. Young will do their thing The Wizards make their debut Thursday at home against the Utah Jazz, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

In addition, Washington is on track to retain its 2026 lottery pick, as it has the fourth-worst record in the NBA (16-44) with 22 games remaining. He must finish with a bottom-four record to guarantee keeping the pick in a class with potential superstars like BIU’s AJ Dibantsa, Duke’s Cameron Boozer and Kansas’ Darrin Peterson.

It’s been a rough road for long-suffering Wizards fans. The team hasn’t had a winning season since 2017-18, and has bottomed every year since general manager Will Dawkins and president Michael Winger took over in the 2023 offseason. But Washington will finally be ready to win next season, thanks in part to the development of Johnson and Riley.

Danny Wolf gives a hilarious tribute to Will Riley

Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27) controls the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
© Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Riley had a career day in Washington’s 127-113 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 7, recording 27 points (10-19 FG, 4-6 3-point) with three rebounds, three steals and two assists in 45 minutes. The Wizards used an eight-man rotation full of backups because it was in their best interest to lose to fellow bottom-men like the Nets, but the Canadian native’s performance was another step forward.

Brooklyn rookie Danny Wolf spoke with ClutchPoints about Riley after the game.

“He’s obviously a talented player,” the former Michigan Wolverine said. “To his credit, he played 45 minutes tonight, which is not easy to do in the NBA. . . . He’s got a lot of tools. When he was at Illinois, they beat us on the butt. He’s a good player.”

Wolff didn’t lie, as Riley and the Fighting Illini beat the Wolverines 93-73 on March 2, 2025. The sophomore scored 13 points (6-12 FG, 0-4 3-pointer) with four rebounds and five assists, and later won Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year honors.

Riley has shown his shitty ability as a big shot creator this season, and his improvement in catching and shooting from distance bodes well for his future. The 6-foot-9, 180-pounder could stand to add muscle, which would help him beat defenders on the inside. But the Nets game and his overall rise in February showed what he can already do with extended playing time.

Next up for the Wizards is a meeting with the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.





2026-03-03 04:19:00

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