Josh Robbins
@joshrobbins.bsky.social
10K followers 130 following 630 posts
Senior Writer for The Athletic. I cover the Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic and the NBA.
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You may have noticed that Cam Whitmore is watching tonight's game in street clothes on the Wizards' bench. He tweaked an ankle in the Knicks preseason game and is being held out just to make sure he doesn't aggravate it. He probably would play if this was a regular-season game.
Bub Carrington is out for the remainder of tonight's game because of left knee soreness, a team official said.
Bub Carrington was helped to the Wizards' locker room tonight in Detroit after the landed awkwardly attempting to deflect a long Pistons pass in transition.
Washington Wizards rookie Tre Johnson, the draft's sixth pick, has drawn comparisons to Ray Allen. How will his career play out? To answer that question, I spoke with NBA scouts to ask for their assessments and projections.

✒️ Exclusive story in @theathletic.com:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/672...
What NBA scouts are saying about Tre Johnson as he begins his rookie season
The Washington Wizards used the sixth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to select Johnson. We asked scouts what they think of Johnson's potential.
www.nytimes.com
Here's a look at Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr launching 3-pointers after practice today. Coulibaly clearly has made progress in his recovery from ligament surgery on his right thumb.
What do true NBA insiders think about the Orlando Magic's chances to contend this season? I spoke with NBA scouts and asked them to evaluate the Magic and predict how the team will finish. Here's the exclusive story, published in @theathletic.com:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...
What NBA scouts are saying about the Magic: ‘They have enough to make a run’
What do scouts think of the Magic's chances to contend in the East?
www.nytimes.com
Will Riley has impressed tonight, especially in the opening minutes of the third quarter. The caveat is that the Knicks are playing second- and third-stringers. But Riley is showing his ability to handle the basketball, his court vision and his feel for the game.
I like how Dillon Jones is playing. He's distributed the ball well to open teammates on the perimeter and just sent a nice pass to Cam Whitmore for a cutting dunk.
The Wizards' starters tonight for their preseason game against the Knicks:

Bub Carrington
Tre Johnson
Kyshawn George
Justin Champagnie
Marvin Bagley III
Alex Sarr on playing against his older brother in an organized game for the first time:
After the game, brothers Alex Sarr and Olivier Sarr, who were roommates last season in Washington during Alex's rookie season, exchanged jerseys on the court.
The Raptors have won 113-112 after Olivier Sarr caught the inbounds pass at the bask and scored on a layup as time expired. That was a beautifully designed and perfectly executed out-of-bounds play.
These have been good minutes for the quintet of Malaki Branham, Jamir Watkins, Will Riley, Dillon Jones and Marvin Bagley III. They've cut Toronto's lead to 111-110 with 4.2 seconds to play. Washington will have possession after this timeout.
Cam Whitmore is starting to display some of the three-level scoring he can deliver. He's scored on a 3-pointer and on a drive to the hoop in which he drew an and-one. Whitmore's up to eight points, all of them in the second half.
Cam Whitmore just provided one of the Wizards' defensive plays of the day, blocking a driving layup attempt by Jamal Shead out of bounds.
Cam Whitmore just scored his first points of this preseason opener, converting a left-handed layup off a cut to the basket. Kyshawn George delivered the pass. Washington trails 73-70 late in the third quarter.
Tre Johnson just scored his first points of this preseason opener. He collected a longish offensive rebound and hit a right-handed push shot from 12 feet, inside the foul line.
Alex Sarr is on a minutes restriction today after his calf injury during EuroBasket. He played 17 minutes in the first half, and it looks like his day is done. Marvin Bagley III is about to check into the game for Vukcevic.
At halftime of this exhibition, Washington leads Toronto 53-52. CJ McCollum is +19. Khris Middleton, Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr are +17 so far.
Khris Middleton just took a charge in this preseason game, prompting the players on the Wizards' bench to leap off their seats.
Brothers Alex Sarr and Olivier Sarr are now on the court together, facing each other for the first time in an organized game.
Cam Whitmore has drawn the assignment of guarding Scottie Barnes, and Whitmore is putting in a strong effort there. On the offensive end, I cannot recall Whitmore touching the ball so far in his six minutes.
The five players currently on the court for the Wizards, late in the first quarter:
Bub Carrington
Tre Johnson
Corey Kispert
Cam Whitmore
Tristan Vukcevic
The Wizards' starters for their preseason opener:

Bub Carrington
CJ McCollum
Kyshawn George
Khris Middleton
Alex Sarr

Keep in mind that Bilal Coulibaly is out today as he continues to recover from thumb-ligament surgery.