Tre Johnson, shown ahead of last month's draft, had an impressive debut at NBA Summer League Friday night. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS — The signature play from Tre Johnson’s NBA Summer League debut — the one that prompted his coach to praise his “high basketball IQ,” his teammate to laud his ability to “go get a bucket” and the one that instantly became a highlight shared on social media — was actually an impressive accident.
Johnson, the Washington Wizards’ No. 6 darft pick, pump-faked in the first quarter of his team’s 103-84 loss to the Phoenix Suns. The fake sent Suns rookie center Khaman Maluach flying into the air. Johnson was trying to pass to fellow rookie Will Riley but instead bounced the ball off Maluach’s calf. Unfazed, the rookie guard gathered the ricochet and darted to the rim for a layup.
Johnson’s performance was a bright spot for Washington amid a dispiriting Friday night opener at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center. He scored 18 points, using his silky jump shot to shoot 7 for 13 from the field and 3 for 5 from three.
But Washington couldn’t match his shooting success, as the rest of the team went 6 for 30 (20 percent) from three. That, combined with a staggering minus-14 gap in rebounds, dropped the Wizards to 0-1 in the exhibition showcase. Koby Brea led the Suns (1-0) with 19 points.
“I feel like we got good chemistry, especially on the offensive end. Just everybody got to be more bought in … the whole 40 minutes on defense,” Johnson said. Asked to elaborate, he added: “I feel like we were jogging back on defense and just jogging … in general.”
Johnson added two assists, three rebounds and a steal. And while he critiqued his showing, saying he attempted a couple questionable shots, the efficient performance offered an early sign that his strengths — that jumper in particular — will translate to the NBA.
Sarr struggles
On the first day of summer league camp, the Wizards talked about wanting to be the most physical team on the floor, according to J.J. Outlaw, who’s coaching the team out in Vegas. They didn’t meet that goal in the first game, he said, pointing to the rebounding disparity.
Starting center Alex Sarr, who struggled as a defensive rebounder in his rookie season, grabbed only four rebounds despite playing 31 minutes. Asked about Sarr’s physicality, Outlaw spread the blame across the roster.
“I didn’t see the level of physicality from us as a group,” he said, “not anybody in particular.”
Second-year players can establish themselves and display their offseason work by making summer league competition look overmatched. That wasn’t the case for Sarr against Maluach, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft.
A late surge — Sarr made his last four shots in the last 3 minutes 11 seconds with the game well out of reach — made the final stats look better. But the performance featured many of the issues that plagued the Frenchman in his rookie year. Sarr scored 15 points on 5-for-10 shooting, adding three blocks and four turnovers..
He started the game’s scoring by dunking a lob from Kyshawn George. Until the late flurry, the basket was Sarr’s only make inside the paint, an aspect of his game he said he had worked to improve on in the offseason.
He had some better moments with the game out of reach, including a hook shot over Maluach and another finished alley-oop. The latter marks potential progress as Sarr struggled to hold onto passes last season.
It’s unclear whether the 20-year-old will play again at this event. On July 24, Sarr will begin training camp with the French national team as he tries to secure a roster spot for EuroBasket. Why, then, did he choose to come to Las Vegas?
“Every opportunity when you can work on your game is a good opportunity,” he said Thursday. “Summer league allows me to play games where I can work on stuff I got to work on. I just see it as another opportunity for me to perfect my game, get reps with the new guys. I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t play summer league.”
George sparkles
One member of the Wizards’ 2024 draft class did show marked improvement against Phoenix. George, a 21-year-old wing, led all scorers with 24 points. He added a team-high seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. He did struggle with turnovers and fouls, accumulating five of each.
George shot 10 for 18 from the field and 3 for 9 from three-point range. He often ran Washington’s offense and showed more ballhandling skills than during his rookie year. In the first half alone, George drained a step-back jumper, made a fadeaway and knocked the burly Maluach back on a transition drive before scoring a layup.
Two-a-day practices in the offseason helped hone his game and showed in his legs, George said. He said he felt more explosive and more stable against the Suns. It showed in a confident, balanced performance.
“As I showed last year, I am not scared to shoot the ball,” George said. "I’m going to make a right decision every time down the floor. That’s never going to change.”