The Washington Wizards will try to start 2-0 without Kyshawn George when they host the Toronto Raptors on Friday, October 23rd at 7:00 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. George is out with an ankle injury, and the Wizards will also be missing Jamir Watkins and Tristan Vukcevic.
The game has drawn attention because it comes immediately after both teams opened with wins. The Wizards beat the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, October 21st, while the Raptors opened with a 43-point victory over the Chicago Bulls, a result that gave their trip to Washington an early edge of credibility.
For Washington, the opener showed how this group can win when the game turns messy. The Wizards scored 70 points in the paint, attempted 41 free throws and still won despite shooting 21 percent from 3. That mix matters now because it gives the team a way to stay afloat even without one of its top young pieces on the floor.
That is where the Raptors become a clean measuring stick. The preview frames Toronto as a team that has changed around Kawhi Leonard, its most heralded roster addition, and Leonard remains tied to the franchise by the NBA Championship and NBA Finals MVP he won there in 2019. If Toronto’s deeper lineup travels well, it will tell Washington quickly whether its opener was a strong start or just a useful first step.
The harder question for the Wizards is simple: how do they replace George’s minutes and keep the same pressure on the rim? With Watkins and Vukcevic also out, the margin for error is thin. Washington has already shown it can close a game with energy and physical play, but Friday night will show whether that formula holds when the lineup is shorter and the opponent is sharper.
The next checkpoint is already set. The Wizards and Raptors meet Friday night, and Washington will either protect its 2-0 start or spend the rest of the week explaining what it lost when George was unavailable.
