Three Storylines to Monitor Entering Wizards' First Back-to-Back Experience in Chicago

The Washington Wizards have already enjoyed some nice versatility in their first-week matchups, with their most recent loss, a 112-102 defeat to the Toronto Raptors, serving as a helpful barometer for how to judge the Wizards and the wide-ranging span of possibilities they offer.

After accessing some balance between the newly-arrived proven All-Stars and the prospects accounting for the rotation's role players and depth pieces in their season-opening Milwaukee Bucks victory, fans got a taste of what to expect against opponents closer-resembling true contenders. The stout, defensive-minded Raptors held Anthony Davis and Trae Young to eight total buckets, crowding the bigs on their post catches and making it nearly-impossible to penetrate the interior one-on-one.

And yet, the Wizards hung in there for the majority of the outing, never quite matching Toronto's clear identity before ultimately succumbing to an early 1-1 record. But in a season with this many short- and long-term questions worth answering regarding the Wizards' fit and future, there's just as much to learn about how they bounce back against the Chicago Bulls on the second night of a back-to-back as there was in that decisive Raptors rout.

Here are some narrative I'll be keeping a close eye on:

Game Three, Still No Sign of Dybantsa

Well over a week since he rolled his ankle in Washington's preseason finale, and we've still yet to see any sign of AJ Dybantsa on the court during regular season action. Local fans eager to see the reigning No. 1 NBA Draft pick in person will have to keep waiting until next Friday, when the team's done with their three-game road trip and ready for their first NBA Cup seeding game against the Charlotte Hornets.

It's a bummer for Washingtonians that he's now likelier than ever to debut on enemy soil, but the on-court product is sure to miss him, too.

They patched what he would've provided as an athletic play-finisher, on-ball scorer and defensive energizer together using spare reserve parts against the Bucks, though such a strategy wasn't quite as effective in the face of the Raptors. His advantage-creation from the perimeter would've greatly-benefitted Young as a secondary ball-handler amidst Kyshawn George's eight cratering turnovers.

Bilal Coulibaly's seized two early starting opportunities in place of Dybantsa on the wing, where his ambition as a closeout-attacker and off-ball disruptor have gone generally-rewarded in the form of 11 points in both games. Anything he can provide in Dybantsa's stead will go appreciated, though the star prospect's absence will be felt as fellow rookie Caleb Wilson prepares to host a Wizards team who just passed on him in this summer's draft.

Trae Young's Growing Need for an Efficient Gem

As Young himself reminded Wizards media, we're still much too early to finalize any early judgements regarding the squad's early returns. With that being said, Young, who still has the near-entirety of his four-year, $212 million contract ahead of him, could benefit from a strong shooting display.

While he has notched 20+ point per game both times he's taken the court this season, he's posting an unsightly 32.1% field goal percentage without any marked success from the perimeter or at the rim. The ball-handling distributor's first step doesn't look as twitchy as it once did, an issue of athleticism that's sure to take away from his scoring versatility and passing dynamism should it persist.

And, again, to his credit, the second piece of that limited sample size arrived at the claws of the Raptors, with Young over-tasked as the lone comfortable table-setter. And even then, he found a way to nail four 3-pointers, albeit at the cost of his finishing at the hole.

Washington's offense still doesn't look as smooth as it could considering the talent lining its depth chart, an issue that couldn't hurt with expanded reps. But with Young struggling to consistently create clean looks for himself off of drives, questions pertaining to his scoring durability will continue echoing through Capital One Arena's walls.

Bouncing Back on the O-Boards

Despite collecting exactly as many defensive rebounds as the Raptors (34), the Wizards still found themselves out-rebounded to the tune of a 53-40 margin, a difference that can be entirely-attributed to Washington's struggles hustling for extra possessions and off-ball inactivity.

The Bulls, meanwhile, have blossomed as gang-rebounders under new head coach Tiago Splitter. Their per-game o-board total of 17 ranks fourth league-wide, nearly half of what the Wizards are averaging, and Chicago's shoddy 19% team 3-point percentage on respectable volume will be sure to produce many-a-brick careening off the rim and window.

Missed box-outs have cost the Wizards to start the 2026-27 campaign, an issue they have no excuse falling victim to considering their regular-deployment of Davis, Alex Sarr and Deandre Ayton. With the chance to return back above .500 awaiting them directly-following a home defeat, the visiting Wizards ought to lean on their lengthy depth and sense for the moment in holding up on short rest.

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