Brian Keefe drops two-word reaction to Wizards' youth emergence

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The Washington Wizards couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season. Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George, none of whom are drinking age, have all played well, which is crucial for the rebuilding franchise.

Head coach Brian Keefe is “not surprised” with their excellence.

I asked Brian Keefe about his thoughts on the hot start by the Wizards' young guys. He said he's 'not surprised.'#wizardspic.twitter.com/3DHN40D3p4

— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) October 31, 2024

“I’m not surprised by anything. We’re still learning and watching, and watching them grow, so they’ve done some really positive stuff,” the 48-year-old said on Thursday. “Obviously some things they still need to work on, but they’ve been competitive, that’s the biggest thing that I’ve liked about them is they’ve had no fear, they’ve gone out there and competed, made some mistakes, but they just keep playing. That’s a great way to learn.”

Coulibaly is the biggest headliner from Washington’s last three games. The French international has scored 67 points on 59.5% shooting over that span, including a career-high 27 points on an 11-of-14 clip in Wednesday’s win over the Atlanta Hawks. He added nine rebounds and three steals for good measure, and also held star guard Trae Young to six points on 2-of-15 shooting when covering him over the back-to-back Monday and Wednesday matches.

However, the Wizards’ rookie class has also shined. Sarr, Carrington, and George all started in Wednesday’s 133-120 win, with Carrington scoring 16 points and George and Sarr each netting 11. Sarr also added four blocks and a steal, while George had three swipes of his own.

With Coulibaly only in his second year and the rookies being just four games into their careers, they’ve still only scratched the surface of their potential.

Wizards’ young players have a bright future

It’s a good sign when young players can lead their team to wins while learning on the job. It’s still early, but there’s reason to be excited, especially with young player showing off different skillsets.

George, for example, has hit transition threes while also being impactful defensively. The Miami alum smiled about how “cool” it was to start alongside Coulibaly, Sarr, and Carrington on Wednesday night, which was Washington’s youngest starting lineup in franchise history.

I asked Kyshawn George how it felt to start alongside fellow rookies Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington last night, the Wizards' youngest starting lineup in franchise history. He said it was "super cool" and shouted out Bilal Coulibaly, who had a career-high 27 points.#wizardspic.twitter.com/AmjyMVl0dt

— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) November 1, 2024

“I was really looking forward to it, I couldn’t wait to play,” the 20-year-old said. “Even with BC, I think we’re the young core, you guys saw BC last year and the three draft picks this year. I was just looking forward to it, and it was super cool to share the court with them.”

George started in place of veteran forward Kyle Kuzma, who injured his groin in Monday’s 121-119 win over the Hawks. In addition to his 11 points and three steals, the 6-foot-8, 200-pounder also had four assists, showing his versatility across 32 minutes.

Meanwhile, Sarr is already averaging eight points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game, while Carrington has 10.5 points on 44.4% shooting. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, consider that these players have barely acclimated to the NBA game after their respective tenures in France and the NCAA.

Additionally, Sarr’s rim protection is already at a high level, as he’s tied for fourth in the league in blocks. Washington has to be excited about that, as it primarily drafted the 19-year-old for his defensive prowess.

This young core gives Wizards fans more reason to be excited than they’ve had in years, thanks to Will Dawkins and the new regime’s emphasis on rebuilding through the draft. Up next is a date in Mexico City with the Miami Heat on Saturday.

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