The Washington Wizards aren’t short on promising young talent — rookie Will Riley has emerged as a spark plug off the bench.
As they have taken the direction of the future, the Wizards are assembling a group of rookies and sophomores who are trending upward.
The faces of this new identity have put the league on notice. Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, and Tre Johnson were all named to Rising Stars teams for All-Star weekend. Bub Carrington was also selected as an injury replacement for Sarr, who is out with a hamstring strain.
But one of the lesser-known members of the Wiz-Kids is showcasing his skills away from the limelight.
After a quiet start to the season, Will Riley has found another gear in the second half of the year.
Will Riley’s Recent Surge
The No. 21 overall pick in the draft started February on a tear. Over the first five games of the month, Riley averaged 18.2 points per game and 1.4 steals. He did it efficiently, converting 49.3% of his shots from the floor and 46.4% from the perimeter.
His 18-point performance against Sacramento to open the month was a coming-out party. It marked the first 30-minute outing of his career, and he made the most of it, draining a career-high four triples.
Riley took his production up a notch two games later. Against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons, he spearheaded Washington’s biggest upset win of the season. Riley gave the league’s second-best defense 20 points on hyper-efficient 64.3% shooting.
Against Brooklyn, Riley reached his current apex. He exploded for a game-high and a career-best 27 points, knocked down four triples, and shot 52.6% from the floor. The outing also displayed his ability to play extensive minutes, logging 45 minutes of playing time.
Before this stretch, Riley averaged just 5.6 points per game and had never scored more than 15 in an NBA game. The leap has been telling.
Look Out For the Future
Rookie development rarely follows a straight line. Riley, who just turned 20, is navigating the learning curve as he acclimates from college ball to the NBA. His unassuming start to the year is the same silent path that many young players take before elevating.
With the District’s clear intentions to tank for a high pick in the draft, their youth is sure to get some more playing time.
Riley is averaging 16.6 minutes per game. That figure will climb as Washington approaches the finish line and begins to let its bench shine. A rise in his time on the hardwood was already likely, and with his production as of late, it’s a guarantee.
He also spent some time in the G League on the Capital City Go-Go, the Wizards’ minor league affiliate.
Having averaged 26 points through three games, his comfort was clear. Now the magnifying glass intensifies on him to see if he can bring that same energy from early February to the closing stretch.
After the All-Star break is when his questions can start getting answers. Much of Riley’s buckets come off of drives and spot-up shots from the perimeter. Can he keep exhibiting his downhill mentality and shooting touch? Solidifying that hot start as no fluke and proving himself as a scorer deepens Washington’s bench even more.
He doesn’t have to be viewed through the lens of this season alone, though. A key marker of success is the ability to improve in the offseason.
One known phenomenon in the NBA is the sophomore slump — where a player’s statistics take a drop after their rookie year.
Emulating the opposite, much like teammates Sarr and George have been, would be pivotal.
An incline in his numbers both this and next season would establish Riley as a proven member of the Wiz-Kids.
If his future is anything like we have seen as of late, Washington’s young core has yet another name that can’t go unmentioned.
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