{"id":3816,"date":"2026-10-08T00:10:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T00:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/?p=3816"},"modified":"2026-10-08T00:10:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T00:10:14","slug":"what-a-season-of-growth-means-for-the-wizards-depends-on-who-you-ask","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/08\/what-a-season-of-growth-means-for-the-wizards-depends-on-who-you-ask\/","title":{"rendered":"What a \u2018Season of Growth\u2019 Means for the Wizards Depends on Who You Ask"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Washington Wizards have repeatedly framed the upcoming season around one phrase: a season of growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">General manager Will Dawkins has outlined three objectives to define what that means: developing the roster, creating more moments of competitive basketball and taking steps toward sustained success. He has also stressed that the process will not be linear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe know it won\u2019t happen overnight, but we\u2019ll chip away as we\u2019ve done in previous seasons,\u201d Dawkins said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">GM Will Dawkins says this will be a &quot;season of growth&quot; for the Wizards:<br><br>&quot;For us, it&#39;s about starting to construct something that can be sustainable.&quot;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/ForTheDistrict?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#ForTheDistrict<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BiXguQ4XRI\">pic.twitter.com\/BiXguQ4XRI<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Double Take Sports (@dbltakesports) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/dbltakesports\/status\/2103230302982214064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 24, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a Wizards roster built around <a href=\"https:\/\/dbltakesports.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/09\/will-dawkins-vision-takes-shape-as-wizards-add-veteran-pieces\/\" title=\"\">young talent but strengthened by a significant veteran presence<\/a>, the phrase makes sense. But in conversations with the players themselves, it becomes clear that growth takes on a different meaning depending on where each player is in his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That difference is visible across a roster that includes young players still establishing themselves, veterans entering new chapters and a No. 1 pick beginning his NBA career under the weight of considerable expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/wizards\/news\/wizards-acquire-deandre-ayton\" title=\"\">Deandre Ayton <\/a>has talked about the season with a mix of patience and urgency. He understands that Washington is still figuring out what kind of basketball it wants to play, but he does not view development as a reason to simply accept losing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think we\u2019re hunting for moments to have competitive basketball and have those bursts and grow off of those bursts,\u201d Ayton said. \u201cWe have the pieces, but we have to see how everything lays out throughout these games.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That process, in Ayton\u2019s view, still comes with an expectation to compete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur goal is to really just compete every night and really grow from every game,\u201d he said. \u201cLosing is not an option for us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That balance may be one of Washington\u2019s biggest challenges this season: giving a developing roster room to grow while still expecting that progress to show up in more competitive basketball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Tre Mann, the season carries a much more personal set of stakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cJust to reignite my career, really,\u201d Mann said. \u201cComing from Charlotte, not playing a lot. You know, being year five \u2026 just coming out here and reigniting my career, showing that I can still play in the NBA. I\u2019m a good player. I can contribute to winning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mann believes there is still more of his game the league has not seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t think nobody knows what I\u2019m capable of,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s really showing everybody, proving to myself that I can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fatherhood has added another layer to that motivation. Mann said he now wants his son to be able to watch him play, look up to him and be excited to come to games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Tre Mann enters Year 5 with something to prove. More on what he wants to accomplish with the Wizards \u2b07\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jAF761axxu\">https:\/\/t.co\/jAF761axxu<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Double Take Sports (@dbltakesports) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/dbltakesports\/status\/2107944507513745576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 7, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Mann enters the season trying to reestablish himself, AJ Dybantsa begins from the opposite end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The No. 1 pick enters his first NBA season carrying a level of expectation the Wizards have not had at the top of the draft since John Wall. When asked what pressure he felt entering the season as the franchise\u2019s first No. 1 pick since Wall, Dybantsa\u2019s answer was immediate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNone. I\u2019m all good,\u201d Dybantsa said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u201cNone.\u201d \ud83d\ude24<br><br>The No. 1 pick <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AJ_Dybantsa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@AJ_Dybantsa<\/a> says he isn&#39;t feeling any pressure ahead of his rookie season at Wizards Media Day! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dmoz2yzQBL\">pic.twitter.com\/dmoz2yzQBL<\/a><\/p>&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBATV\/status\/2104606188990296444?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 28, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He later explained that having veterans and established players around him helps take some of that pressure off, giving him room to grow without feeling as though everything rests on him from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Washington has the luxury of allowing its top pick to blossom alongside players who have already carried significant NBA responsibilities rather than asking him to become the answer to everything from Day 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the other end of the experience spectrum is Anthony Davis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Will Dawkins said before Media Day that Davis was motivated to remind the basketball world who he is. Davis, however, focused less on outside perceptions when discussing what he wants from this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI haven\u2019t played basketball in a long time \u2014 for me it seemed like a long time \u2014 since January with the hand injury,\u201d Davis said. \u201cSo I\u2019m excited just to get back on the floor again and just dominate the game on both ends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">AD on the season ahead\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7zzyIMdZYm\">https:\/\/t.co\/7zzyIMdZYm<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Double Take Sports (@dbltakesports) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/dbltakesports\/status\/2104964683530973586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 29, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He made clear that whatever narratives exist around him are not where he plans to place his energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t try to feed into that,&#8221; Davis said. &#8220;I\u2019m going to go out and just do what I have to do and let my game do the talking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His goals also extend beyond his own production. Davis said staying healthy is a priority, but so is helping Washington\u2019s younger players understand what it takes to succeed at this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve been there,\u201d Davis said. \u201cBeen around people who\u2019ve been there, other players, coaches, and just trying to give everything I\u2019ve learned over my career to these guys.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the end of training camp, the idea of growth was also showing up in the way the Wizards were functioning as a group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Will Riley saw it in the way players competed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou can just see everyone\u2019s going at it,\u201d Riley said. \u201cNo one\u2019s taking plays off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-x\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Building habits \ud83d\udcaa\ud83c\udffe <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tZPauHKRgZ\">https:\/\/t.co\/tZPauHKRgZ<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Double Take Sports (@dbltakesports) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/dbltakesports\/status\/2106467203457679608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 3, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mentorship Davis and other veterans talked about was also beginning to show up on the court. After Saturday\u2019s scrimmage, head coach Brian Keefe highlighted their communication \u2014 recognizing coverages, sharing what they were seeing on the floor and helping teammates work through adjustments in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">None of it guarantees results. But the competition, communication and willingness to learn from one another offer an early glimpse of what the Wizards hope this season can become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Wizards have called this a season of growth. After two weeks of conversations with the players seeking to make that a reality, one thing is clear: there isn\u2019t just one way to define it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Wizards have framed 2026-27 as a \u201cseason of growth,\u201d but that idea looks different depending on the player. After two weeks of conversations across Media Day and training camp, Double Take Sports explores how veterans, young players and No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa are defining what growth means for themselves and for Washington.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3818,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[70],"tags":[40,22],"class_list":["post-3816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wizards","tag-nba","tag-washington-wizards"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- 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