5 Things to Know Ahead of Raptors vs. Wizards

The Toronto Raptors are hoping to improve to 2-0 as they visit the Washington Wizards for their first road game of the season.

To learn more about the Wizards' current state of affairs, we spoke with Washington Wizards On SI publisher Henry Brown.

The Wizards came out on top in their opener for the first time since 2022. What was the major takeaway from that game?

Anthony Davis still looks the part of an All-Star, even as he ventures into year 15. He scored and rebounded at will against the Milwaukee Bucks, and though the Toronto Raptors pose a tougher challenge, he's still flanked by a deep assortment of prospects-turned-role players to split the Wizards' division of labor.

Will AJ Dybantsa make his debut and what have you liked from him up until this point?

AJ's been ruled out for Friday, meaning that fans across the league will have to keep waiting for the reigning No. 1 pick to flex the athletic burst and highlight-friendly play-finishing he showed in the preseason.

What is the biggest change the Wizards are making from last season to this one?

The biggest change, outside of the greater shift into the next step of the rebuilding process, has been the full-time inclusions of Davis and Trae Young. These are professional scorers to ease the burdens of Washington's younger development projects, and they're each deft-enough playmakers to ensure that no one's getting iced just so the big names can get their shots up.

If the Wizards were to beat the Raptors, what would be the reason why?

Any Wizards win over a gritty team like Toronto will be attributed to Washington's two-way depth. Players like Kyshawn George, Justin Champagnie and Bilal Coulibaly are happy to score in transition after making their stops in the half court.

Though they, along with reserve guards like Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington, did little of the way of impressing from long-range, going 6/28 from 3-point distance in their debut, fewer misses on so many of those open corner threes will make the Young-led offense look a lot more productive.

What's your prediction for the game?

I doubt the Wizards pull this one out given the Raptors' depth of defensive wings, even if the vibes are high coming off a win in Washington. Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes can go toe-to-toe with Young and Davis as creators in a pinch, and Toronto's tough rotation looks ready-made to make life harder for so many of those long-term prospects. Something like a 127-112 win in Toronto's favor wouldn't shock me.

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