CJ McCollum, Khris Middleton channel ‘Finding Nemo’ in Wizards lead

WASHINGTON, DC — The Washington Wizards lost by 64 points to the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics in the last two games, and on Thursday 141-101 loss at home to the Celtics he was caring. However, veterans CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton won’t let the young group down lose your way.

Second-year wing Kishawn George explained after Friday they practice as their own A “Finding Nobody” style approach helps the team.

“Their consistency in their emotions, I would say. It’s super steady, super calming,” the former Miami Hurricane said. “No matter what happens, just keep going, keep swimming. They know what it takes. They come back the next day with the same level of focus and precision as if they were a professional and able to execute what we have to do.”

“Keep swimming” is a a phrase popularized by the stage in “Mute”, in which cheerful Dory tries to cheer up grumpy Marlin. The full saying is “When life gets you down, just keep swimming!”

McCollum and Middleton do that naturally at this point in their careers, but it’s not easy for young players to stay fired up after losing nine of their first 21 games by 20-plus points in addition to three 19-point losses. The shutout doesn’t help them develop, robbing them of experience in clutch situations and subjecting them to non-contest minutes in the fourth quarter.

However, George said the even-keeled attitude of the veteran duo inspires them.

“You learn from it on the pitch. You take an example,” continued the 21-year-old. “Obviously they’ve had longer careers and accomplished more than most of us in this building. Learning from that, wanting to be ambitious and wanting to do something in their careers. You don’t try to emulate, but pick up what you can from people like that.”

George’s statement is correct, as McCollum and Middleton’s resumes are in a different stratosphere compared to everyone else on the list. McCollum won the NBA MVP Award in 2016, averaged at least 20 points for 10 straight years, and was the second option behind Damian Lillard when the Portland Trail Blazers reached the Western Conference Finals in 2019. Meanwhile, Middleton is a three-time NBA All-Star and was the second option behind Giannis Antetokounmpo when the Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 NBA Finals.

Washington’s second-year center, on the other hand Alex Sarr and second-year guard Bub Carrington earned All-Rookie honors ranking last season, and third-year guard Bilal Coulibaly is a two-time star on the rise. That’s promising, but they still haven’t learned how to win, as the Wizards went 15-67 in Koulibaly’s first season and 18-64 last year. They are now 3-18 before hosting the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.

The loss overload is due to Washington’s priority to rebuild through the draft. Finishing with the worst or second-worst in the NBA guarantees he won’t finish below the fifth or sixth lottery pick, respectively, and ties him with the top odds to go first. That has not happened since he was elected franchise legend John Wall No. 1 overall in 2010, but chose Sarr no. 2 in 2024. Then it dropped to No. 6 last summer, but still landed shooter Tre Johnson.

The Wizards will likely finish with a similar record this season as they continue to try to land their franchise cornerstone. But until then, they must have more competitive performances to help their young core grow.

Although McCollum and Middleton are helping that effort with their leadership, they won’t be in Washington much longer. Both are out of contract and are the best trade/buyout candidates before the February NBA trade deadline, according to CBS Sports. Fortunately, the team’s young players have taken notice of their “keep swimming” lifestyle, and can emulate it even after the elder statesmen leave for other squads.

CJ McCollum describes Will Riley’s skill set

One of the few positives in the last two games has been rookie wing Will Riley playing more than 12 minutes a night for the first time in his career. The 19-year-old played 26 minutes in Tuesday’s 121-102 loss to the 76ers and 27 to the Celtics, combining for 19 points (7-12 FG, 3-5 3-point) with eight rebounds, three assists and one steal. Prior to that, he recorded 36 points (14-24 FG, 4-6 3-point) with five rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 39 minutes in the G League on Nov. 30.

McCollum talked about Riley’s game after Losing Boston.

CJ McCollum last night on the growth he’s seen from Will Riley:

“Will can play. . . . He’s aggressive, he can go downhill, he’s got great pivots, good feet, good basketball IQ. You’ve obviously seen what he’s done in the G League and in college. His game translates to the NBA . . .” pic.twitter.com/Ajpz63k3vT

— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) December 5, 2025

“Will can shoot the hoop. We said that right away when we saw him in camp,” the 34-year-old said. “He’s aggressive, can go downhill, has great pivots, good feet, good basketball IQ. You’ve obviously seen what he’s done in the G League and in college. His game definitely translates to the NBA. As he gets more comfortable and more experienced, a lot of people will be able to see him develop and grow.”

Riley was an off-ball shot creator as a freshman for the Illinois Fighting Illini last season, and he’s been practicing his point guard skills in his three G League appearances this year. However, the 6-foot-9, 180-pounder is hard to justify to the Wizards for not playing him every game, especially with Koulibaly (hamstring), Johnson (hip flexor), Sarah (hamstring) and veteran guard Corey Kispert (thumb) all to the sideaccording to the team’s injury report. He didn’t play in their 129-126 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, but that was before Coulibaly went down.

Riley’s development will be one of Washington’s most important stories moving forward, as he could establish himself as a mainstay of its rebuild alongside Sarr, George and Johnson. More losses are inevitable, but the 21st overall pick is one of the players that makes the fight more exciting.