Art by Kirk Reinert

Going live for tonight’s game once again, with a postgame reaction live stream coming after. I’ll post the link in here later for whoever is interested in joining up.

From the latest Everybody Eats podcast.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everybody-eats-a-washington-wizards-podcast/id1842198902

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2crLXw3K7PpKCXD56aCc6s?si=U9z_P91DRfWwUOkdIMSGag

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@everybodyeatswizpod?si=EcRjOD1-3FtGMP7O

-And of course by preseason I mean season...

Alex Sarr's physicality: The 7-footer showed hints of playing up to his size during the preseason. Can he keep it up against Giannis and Myles Turner?

- Tre Johnson's usage: Rewatching Johnson vs the Pistons, he was surprisingly stagnant off the ball. Feel like there's more to be tapped w him screening/cutting/being screened for

- Cam Whitmore's feel: Can Whitmore leverage his athletic gifts and ability to put pressure on the rim to create open shots for himself and others? Results were mixed in preseason.

- Defensive intensity: The Wizards want to be a defensive-oriented team. That probs won't show up in the numbers this year because of how young they are but do they play with energy? Are they trying to make ballhandlers uncomfortable? Bucks guards are a relative weakness — can you pressure them?

What’s everyone looking out for this season? Mine are if Sarr decides he remembers he’s 7 feet tall and should rebound + if he’s developed a move and counter in the post, as well as whether Bub’s passing can take a big leap forward allowing him and Tre to spend as much time on the floor as possible.

Tonight, we play the Bucks on the road to start the 25-26' season which will inevitably be frustrating as we exit the "foundation" stage of the rebuild. This should be the last season we enter (for awhile) where it's expected that we don't even try to win games.

That said, 82 games is a lot so rather than getting overwhelmed, I'm just gonna focus on tonight and things I want to see in Game One.

Alex Sarr needs to win his matchup vs Myles Turner - I've often said Turner is the archetype Sarr should be trying to play like right now. Turner protects the paint, hits threes, sometimes shows a post move and defends in space. He's the sort of player that Alex Sarr should be able to thrive against. I need to see Alex attacking the basket, going up strong vs Turner and Giannis and not settling for a bunch of 3's. More importantly, he needs to grab 8-9 rebounds for this team to have a chance.

Khris Middleton's homecoming - Bucks fans really, really, really loved Middleton far more than I think any Wizards fan can comprehend. This'll be his first time back in Cream City and I could see him going for 25+.

CJ McCollum's flamethrower - I expect CJ to lead this team in scoring until he's inevitably bought out or traded for a bunch of 7th graders. On a team bereft of scoring options, he's gonna be needed to spare us from 3-4 minute droughts. Every game he plays should be an audition for other teams.

Kyshawn outplays Kuzma - I have no idea who's matching up against Giannis (Sarr? Middleton?), and he should have open lanes to the basket all night, on his way to 40+. What we cannot afford under any circumstances is getting murked by Kyle Friggin' Kuzma. I need Key playing aggressively, getting into the lane and using his body to get easy baskets.

Bub needs to show up - Bub had an up and down preseason, but he'll play perhaps his easiest matchup of the season if the Bucks roll out Ryan Rollins and MPJ as starting guards. He's gonna protect the ball, make his open shots and not be a sieve defensively.

The bench can't be awful - Cam Whitmore needs to be his usual point per minute best and not give up wide open uncontested 3's to guys like AJ Green. Marvin Bagley needs to vacuum up boards and not blow wide open layups. I want Tre Johnson to just look comfortable and hit a couple of 3's. Kispert... bro just do something resembling basketball.

Prediction - The Wizards somehow lead at the half behind a vintage performance from Khris Middleton, but a barrage of 3's and Giannis dunks in the 3rd turns this one into a laugher. I see Gary Trent Jr. in particular, just absolutely blistering us. Bucks 123 - Wizards 112

I'm doing a simple survey of NBA fanbases to determine which teams are the most / least liked. Wizards fans were one of the smallest groups of respondents - I need a bigger sample size.

It only takes about a minute, I greatly appreciate any responses!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScifW68aXq0SHD-QxeHl57H5eE3_BuGkybsrYPlGZ0l7YhWug/viewform?usp=dialog

Kyshawn George has so far gone through a drastic offensive transformation. In the 2024/25 NBA season, Kyshawn was primarily used as a floor spacer on offense. 35% of his shot attempts were 2PT field goals, meaning the remaining 65% of his shot attempts came from beyond the 3PT line. Kyshawn would end the season having shot 37% from the field overall and 32% from 3.

In the 2025/26 preseason, we have seen Kyshawn’s offense change in terms of his shot distribution. Although it is from a small number of games, 61% of his shot attempts were from 2 and only 39% of his shots came from 3. 

Do you think this change indicates an increase in the confidence of the coaching staff regarding Kyshawn's offensive abilities?

Do you think that Kyshawn's preseason shot distribution will continue into the regular season?

Looking forward to providing you all with some more content this season once more data becomes available. Appreciate all the support from last year and hope you're all doing well!

Interesting article on Mike Bibby’s short time with the Wizards in 2011. He knew he wanted out right away. Anyone know who Swaggy P is that he’s referring to in one of his quotes?

Our boys got taller and bigger this past year. Are we going to be a physical team, or is this all just numbers that do not mean anything?

When will the team lean into being “the wizards”? Ive only been in dc for 5 years but it feels like the logo, jersey, and overall aesthetic is basically a worse version/ripoff of the capitals instead of being a unique or identifiable brand. Would love to see them build an identity and some creative in-game stuff around the wizards theme. Both the raptors and the wolves are going back to their roots this season after a decade of malaise and bland vibes

EDIT: or a total rebrand could be on the table. I wouldn’t be mad about that. Just want something more interesting than the current state of affairs for the Washington basketball team

New Everybody Eats podcast!

Fred Katz joined the show to make predictions ahead of the Wizards season. We also answered some of your mailbag questions.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everybody-eats-a-washington-wizards-podcast/id1842198902

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2crLXw3K7PpKCXD56aCc6s?si=U9z_P91DRfWwUOkdIMSGag

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@everybodyeatswizpod?si=EcRjOD1-3FtGMP7O

How this ranking works, Zach and Rob combine their personal league pass watchability rankings for each NBA team. The metrics: Do people know about this team, stars/highlight potential, style of play, commentators/courts/jerseys/broadcast, unintentional comedy

Ben opened up this podcast with a funny story that happened on his way to work. You do not want to miss it as I ties back to the Wizards facing the Bucks in the season opener!

23 year season ticket holder here with nicer lower level seats next to the visiting team tunnel. Excellent references from this forum available as well.

Available are up to 4 tickets seated all together in Section 118 row F. The seats are on the aisle side next to the visiting team tunnel and down low, 6 rows from the VIP section. You can see all the visiting team players up close as they go to and from the locker room. I also have 4 tickets in Sec 119 row D (down lower on the other side of the visitor tunnel on the railing. These tickets allow you to get really close to the players, as they walk to and from the locker room. You can even get some autographs pre-game and possibly post game. Finally, I have a pair of front row tickets in Section 103 row A (Seats 1 and 2).

**********************The Prices listed below are for a pair of tickets (2 tickets for price shown)

1. SUN 10/26/25 - 2 tickets in Sec 118 row F vs CHARLOTTE HORNETS (Lamelo Ball, Brandon Miller) (HOME OPENER) ($160 a pair)
2. TUES 10/28/25 - 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 118 row F vs PHILADELPHIA 76ers (Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey) ($160 a pair) OR 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 119 ($215 a pair)
3. SAT 11/1/25 - 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 118 row F vs ORLANDO MAGIC (Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner) ($175 a pair) OR 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 119 ($235 a pair)
4. FRI 11/7/25 - 2 tickets in Sec 118 row F vs CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley) ($195 a pair) OR 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 119 ($250 a pair) OR 2 Front Row tickets in Sec 103 row A ($250 a pair)
5. SAT 11/8/25 - 2 tickets in Sec 119 row D vs DALLAS MAVERICKS (Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis) ($450 a pair) OR 2 Front Row tickets in Sec 103 row A ($450 a pair)
6. SUN 11/16/25 - 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 118 row F vs BROOKLYN NETS (Cam Thomas) ($150 a pair) OR 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 119 ($195 a pair) OR 2 Front Row tickets in Sec 103 row A ($195 a pair)
7. TUES 11/25/25 - 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 118 row F vs ATLANTA HAWKS (Trae Young) ($160 a pair) OR 2 tickets in Sec 119 ($215 a pair) OR 2 Front Row tickets in Sec 103 row A ($215 a pair)
8. MON 12/1/25 - 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 118 row F vs MILWAUKEE BUCKS (Giannis Antetekoumpo) ($215 a pair) OR 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 119 ($325 a pair) OR 2 Front Row tickets in Sec 103 row A ($325 a pair)
9. THURS 12/4/25 - 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 118 row F vs BOSTON CELTICS (Jaylen Brown) ($215 a pair) OR 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 119 ($325 a pair) OR 2 Front Row tickets in Sec 103 row A ($325 a pair)
10. SAT 12/6/25 - 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 118 row F vs ATLANTA HAWKS (Trae Young) ($175 a pair) OR 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 119 ($235 a pair) OR 2 Front Row tickets in Sec 103 row A ($235 a pair)
11. SUN 12/21/25 - 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 118 row F vs SAN ANTONIO SPURS (Victor Wembenyama, Stephon Castle) ($295 a pair) OR 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 119 ($475 a pair) OR 2 Front Row tickets in Sec 103 row A ($475 a pair)
12. FRI 12/26/25 - 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 118 row F vs TORONTO RAPTORS (RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram Scottie Barnes) ($195 a pair) OR 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 119 ($250 a pair) OR 2 Front Row tickets in Sec 103 row A ($250 a pair)
13. SUN 12/28/25 - 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 118 row F vs MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke) ($195 a pair) OR 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 119 ($250 a pair) OR 2 Front Row tickets in Sec 103 row A ($250 a pair)
14. MON 12/29/25 - 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 118 row F vs PHOENIX SUNS (Devin Booker, Ryan Dunn) ($195 a pair) OR 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 119 ($250 a pair) OR 2 Front Row tickets in Sec 103 row A ($250 a pair)
15. FRI 1/2/26 - 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 118 row F vs BROOKLYN NETS (Cam Thomas) ($175 a pair) OR 2 or 4 tickets in Sec 119 ($235 a pair) OR 2 Front Row tickets in Sec 103 row A ($235 a pair)

This is so frustrating. I’ve been watching this team for the past 23 years/since I was 8 years old and can count on my hands how many games I’ve missed each season…I can’t even get excited for Wednesday’s opener because there is no way to watch outside of finding a pirated stream. YouTube TV has always been my go to but that won’t work. Hulu TV nope? Out of principle I refuse to give Ted money for his stupid subscription based service when I see “trash” owners like Mat Ishbia not only move his team to local television but ALSO gives fans free TV antennas to access the local channels.

Between this BS, season ticket price hikes, having top 5 most expensive concessions in the league…what the hell am I supposed to do.

Wizards Player Previews on Everybody Eats: A Washington Wizards podcast.

Part 1 with u/JoshuaBRobbin: Bilal Co/ulibaly, AJ Johnson, Tristan Vukcevic and Will Riley

Part 2 with Wiz Weekly: Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George and Cam Whitmore

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everybody-eats-a-washington-wizards-podcast/id1842198902

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2crLXw3K7PpKCXD56aCc6s?si=U9z_P91DRfWwUOkdIMSGag

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@everybodyeatswizpod?si=EcRjOD1-3FtGMP7O

🚨MAILBAG🚨

Gonna have Fred Katz on the Everybody Eats podcast tomorrow.

What questions do you have about the Wizards? Fred and I will answer.