NBA Notes: Wizards, Corey Kispert, Magic, Anthony Black, Heat

Wizards

The Wizards are fully embracing the rebuild, and ownership is spending big on infrastructure and support staff as they try to reshape the organization.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports that top prospects in recent drafts — including Alex Sarr and Ace Bailey — have been surprisingly enthusiastic about D.C. as a landing spot.

The on-court product, though, has been a different story. Washington is off to a 1-12 start and sits last in net rating at minus-16.1.

That raises a fair question, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes. Namely, can a team lose this much without stunting the growth of its young core?

Corey Kispert, one of the few veterans on the roster at age 26, gave a thoughtful answer. He pointed to the upside and downside of so much freedom for the Wizards’ first- and second-year players.

“They can come in and they can play and they can try things and they grow on the floor,” Kispert said. “That’s a really big blessing for them. But… winning is a skill and learning how to win is a skill. And it’s not something that you can just flip on and off from year to year.”

Kispert referenced games like the Nov. 10 matchup with Detroit — close late, but ultimately slipped away — as missed lessons the young group needs.

He said it’s on the vets to help teach those habits “in practices and within our games, whether it’s a word on the sideline or the way that we play.”

Magic

Anthony Black’s season has been uneven, but this past week gave Orlando a reminder of why they drafted him.

After scoring single digits in five of his previous seven outings, Black delivered 18 points in Sunday’s loss to Houston and followed it with a season-high 21 in Tuesday’s win over Golden State.

Those back-to-back performances, as The Athletic’s Josh Robbins notes, showed how much the former No. 6 overall pick can elevate Orlando when he brings the right energy.

“I think A.B. is someone who can impact the game on both sides,” forward Franz Wagner said. “When someone like that has the right energy, it’s contagious… he’s a super-important player for our team.”

With injuries pushing him into heavier minutes, Orlando is hoping that version of Black sticks.

Heat

The Heat don’t currently have a rotation role for first-rounder Kasparas Jakucionis, so they sent the 19-year-old guard to Sioux Falls to get real minutes.

He has already logged two games for the Skyforce and sees the assignment as a chance to grow, not a setback.

“I just need live basketball,” Jakucionis said, via Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I think it’s good to come here, play, and the development part is very good. So I think that’s a good thing.”

Miami likes his long-term upside, but with a crowded rotation and playoff expectations, consistent G League reps are the priority for now.