Wizards’ Kishaun George reveals Trea Young’s ‘strengths’ after Pelicans loss

WASHINGTON, DC – Friday night Washington Wizards– The New Orleans Pelicans game had a few stories that would normally be the center of attention at Wizards World, but the four-time All-Star Tree Young’s introductory press conference was the main topic of conversation before the game. So Washington’s 128-107 loss was a footnote in one of the franchise’s most exciting days since the John Wall/Bradley Beale era.

Second-year wing Keeshon George told ClutchPoints after the game that Young (quad, MCL) I can help him and Wizards.

“I don’t know his exact resume, but he’s a really good basketball player,” the 22-year-old said. “He can shoot, he can pass, he can create opportunities. Being able to draw the defense to him and be a great passer. I think he’s going to make us better.”

Young’s numbers back up George’s statement, as he averaged a career-high 25.2 points and 9.8 assists and led the NBA with 11.6 assists per game last season. The acquisition of the 27-year-old was a a momentous moment for CEO Will Dawkins and company, as he is both the first star and first true point guard the team has acquired since this administration took over in the 2023 offseason.

However, as Dawkins mentioned during Young’s presser, there are two sides in every trade. George talked about what he will miss about the veterans CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, who Washington traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Young on Wednesday.

“Off the court and even on the court, Corey is a really good guy… Good person, joyful, happy to come to work, hard working, with great intentions,” said the former Miami Hurricane. “Same for CJ. I think they’re anchors in the sense that you know what you’re going to get from them every day, and they hold that baseline.”

Kispert was the last remaining Wizards player drafted by former general manager Tommy Shepard, and McCollum helped showcase the young core ropes as one of the NBA’s most successful veterans. The latter has not only averaged 20-plus points per game for 10 straight seasons since the start of the 2025-26 season, but he’s also a former president and vice president of the NBA Players Association, so he’s about as good as it gets for leadership on and off the court.

Off the field, McCollum dispensed nuggets of wisdom as he told rookie Tre Johnson he did need hobbies other than basketball to stay sane, according to the Monumental Sports Network. On the court, the 34-year-old averaged 18.8 points on 45.4 percent shooting (39.3 percent from 3-point range) with 3.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 35 games and was one of the main reasons Washington went 7-5 over its previous 12 contests, heading into Wednesday night’s 1106 and 1107 losses to Philadelphia. and Kispert sat for the previously announced trade.

McCollum has made an impact despite only being with the team since last summer, but Kispert has witnessed an organizational revolution from the Sheppard era to the Dawkins era. The Wizards have gone from a middling veteran-led team to a team focused on developing rookie contract players in a full rebuild.

Although Kispert never experienced a winning season in the nation’s capital, he helped and encouraged the “Wiz Kids” whenever he could. The former Gonzaga Bulldog spoke to ClutchPoints about it the advice he gave to the young core that he saw it coming during the aforementioned winning stretch after the Wizards’ 141-115 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

I asked Corey Kispert if he had any advice for the young Wizards players he’s seen following over the past few games (thread):

“Yeah, I mean, they’re incredibly confident. I tend to give advice to guys who feel like they’re a deer in the headlights . . .” pic.twitter.com/7H0zeKsoiMK

— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) January 5, 2026

“Yeah, I mean, they’re incredibly confident. I tend to give advice to guys who feel like they’re a deer in the headlights
or they’re not really sure what they’re doing,” he said. “But these guys are ready to play hard now. Just little things, that’s all they need. How to move off the ball, when to cut, when to get into space, how to get guys’ hands off you.”

“When you’re an elite shooter, people are really close to you all the time, like Velcro,” he continued. “So you have to create that space to free your game. Little things like that. It’s nothing groundbreaking or mind-blowing. These guys have a really good coaching staff, good support systems. I’m just trying to be a part of that.”

Young may not be able to single-handedly fill the leadership void left by McCollum and Kispert, but he said all the right things during Friday’s presser.

Trae Young describes how he will connect with the Wizards

Yang identified specific ways in which it can form an effective partnership with the young builders of Washington.

Trae Young on how he can relate to the Wizards’ young core:

“I know that as soon as I start a PnR with Alex … or when I see Bilal cutting, it builds chemistry. It builds trust. And they need to know I’m working hard on the other end.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/VBKSz0teI5z

— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) January 9, 2026

“For me, some of my favorite players growing up were also Steve Nash and Chris Paul. I’ve always learned that the ball brings energy, so that’s why I love passing,” said the former All-NBA honoree. “I know as soon as I start a pick-and-roll with Alex (Sarr), I give a little drop to a dunk or a lob, or I see Bilal (Coulibaly) cut and get the ball, and he’s not cutting just to cut, it builds chemistry. It builds trust, and they have to know that I’m giving effort on the other end, and that builds your confidence. They also build your confidence. teammates, it’s something that’s going to happen over time, we’re going to play with each other and continue to get those repetitions.

If Young consistently creates open chances for Sarr, George, Koulibaly, Johnson and others, it will make their job easier and boost their confidence, which will help their development. It’s unknown how much the former Oklahoma Sooner will play for the rest of the season as he recovers from injuries, but Washington fans can dream of him cooking with the “Wiz Kids” in the meantime.

Friday’s game was like seasoning on top of a steak, as Baltimore native Derrick Quinn recorded a triple-double for the Pelicans in his return to the DMV area, while teammate and former Wizard Jordan Poole was booed every time he touched the ball in a scoreless outing after previously calling Capital One Arena “dead.” for his time with the squad. On top of that, oft-injured New Orleans star Zion Williamson had a near-perfect shooting night, scoring 31 points (12-14 FG) in 29 minutes in just his second career game at the arena, and Johnson (No. 6 overall) battled No. 7 overall pick Jeremy Fiers.

Most importantly for Washington, it lost another contest as it continues its quest to keep its top-eight protected lottery pick for 2026. When the Wizards finish in the bottom four in the NBA standings this season, they will guarantee to keep that selection and dream of putting a star next to Young and their young core.