Washington Wizards

No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa rolled his ankle during preseason, Wizards guard Trae Young said, giving no status or timeline. Young raised it as a setback: "we fell short of that, obviously, with the number one pick AJ coming down, rolling his ankle."

AJ Dybantsa has an ankle sprain, and Wizards coach Brian Keefe said: "We just took him out of the game for precaution." Keefe said the team will know more once it gets more information. Washington has a couple of days of practice before its opener.

Khris Middleton is back playing for the Wizards. "Yeah, it's great to see him back out there," coach Brian Keefe said, calling Middleton a smart player who makes the right play.

Wizards big Alex Sarr, back from injury, says he's "getting used to the pace" and has "been feeling good." Spacing beside Anthony Davis and Deandre Ayton is his biggest adjustment. Brian Keefe wouldn't detail Khris Middleton's minutes: "he is trending in the right direction."

Trae Young has been pass-first with few shots this preseason. Wizards coach Brian Keefe wants that to change: "we want him to be aggressive, we want him to score." Young has only played through three quarters; Keefe said players go longer in the finale against the Pelicans.

Kyshawn George says he has "100%" earned a starting spot but will defer to the staff: "it's not about starting. It's about winning games." Wizards coach Brian Keefe, who calls George a more trusted ball handler, said the staff is still trying lineups "to see what fits."

Alex Sarr played for the first time this preseason, including his first minutes alongside Anthony Davis. "Nice to see Alex back in action," Wizards coach Brian Keefe said, pointing to early chemistry between the two: in the second half, Davis found Sarr for a corner 3.

Starting two big men means the Wizards' offense will take time, coach Brian Keefe said on Oct. 10, because some of the starters have never played together and are still learning to share the floor: "we're playing 2 bigs. They're learning how to space off each other."

Felix Okpara and Reece Beekman were part of the group that closed the Wizards' overtime game on Oct. 10, and coach Brian Keefe and Will Riley both credited that lineup's physicality and defense. "I was really pleased with that group that finished the game," Keefe said.

Asked about Trae Young's role, Brian Keefe answered by naming the Wizards' other ball handlers: Kyshawn George and AJ Dybantsa, with Will Riley and Bub Carrington handling the ball off the bench.

Alex Sarr is "trending the other way" for Oct. 10, Wizards coach Brian Keefe said, with more on him to come. Khris Middleton will be evaluated before that game: "they're getting closer." Anthony Davis is back on the court; Keefe called him the defensive "anchor communicator."

Kyshawn George is not locked in as the Wizards' fifth starter, Brian Keefe said, because no lineup decisions have been made this early in camp. Citing the strength George has added, Keefe said: "We're definitely going to put the ball in his hands to make decisions."

"It kind of makes life easy. I don't got to take 1,000 dribbles to go score." AJ Dybantsa on being the Wizards' third option. He had 4 steals and held his own guarding OG Anunoby one-on-one. On his college defense: "It was just kind of me just being lazy in college."

Justin Champagnie "can play with almost any lineup," Wizards coach Brian Keefe said, crediting "the intangibles, things that he does": chasing down rebounds off his team's misses, cutting to the basket and making hustle plays.

AJ Dybantsa says having Deandre Ayton and Anthony Davis lets him be more aggressive on the ball: "if I do get beat, I know I have 2 guys that... go block my shot." His Wizards preseason debut was his first game with Davis and Trae Young after about two months together.

"No one will play heavy minutes or anything like that." Brian Keefe expects most Wizards to play in the preseason opener at New York, and with their depth, lineups will shift all preseason; some opening-night groupings may not appear before then. Absences? "To be determined."