Wizards' Trae Young Problem Won't Fix Their 76ers Woes
The Trae Young Gamble and What It Means on D
The Washington Wizards, bless their hearts, just acquired Trae Young from the Hawks. On paper, it’s a big name. A splash. But let's be real, watching the film of their recent matchups against the Sixers, it's hard to see how this moves the needle on the defensive end, which is where they get absolutely shredded. On January 7, 2026, the Sixers put up 131 points on them in a 131-110 rout. That wasn't an anomaly, either; they gave up 121 points on December 2, 2025.
Young is an offensive dynamo, no question. He can drop dimes, hit from deep. But his defensive effort? It's often been, shall we say, a suggestion rather than a command. You bring him in, and you're hoping his offensive firepower can simply outscore your defensive deficiencies. Against a team like the Sixers, with Joel Embiid dominating the paint and Tyrese Maxey exploding for 35 points, including 20 in a single third quarter against them, you need more than hope. You need actual stops.
Embiid's Playground and Guarding the Perimeter
Look, the Sixers own the paint when they play Washington. Embiid just feasts. He had 28 points in that January 7, 2026, win. Paul George added 23. The Wizards just don’t have an answer for that inside-out attack. Now, you add Young to the mix, and you've got a smaller guard trying to navigate screens and recover against Maxey or even George on the perimeter. That’s a mismatch waiting to happen every single possession.
Thing is, you can scheme all you want, but if your personnel can’t execute a basic pick-and-roll defense against Embiid, or if your guards are constantly getting blown by, it doesn’t matter who’s at the point. The Wizards gave up 35 points in the third quarter alone on December 2, 2025. You can't win like that. Young’s arrival means they're going to try to push the pace, score in transition. But if they're still giving up 120-130 points, those extra possessions just turn into more opportunities for the opponent.
My hot take? Until the Wizards address their fundamental defensive issues, particularly in the paint and containing primary ball-handlers, Trae Young's offensive brilliance will simply be lipstick on a pig. They'll still be looking up at the Sixers in the standings.
I predict the 76ers will win their next matchup against the Wizards by at least 15 points, regardless of how many dimes Young drops.