The rise of Will Riley has been a sharp one, as he is only supposed to be in his freshman year in college this season.
Riley reclassified in 2024 so he could suit up for the Illinois basketball program. He played one season in Champaign before heading to the NBA Draft, where he was selected by the Utah Jazz and later traded to the Washington Wizards.
There is naturally going to be a learning curve for the 6-foot-9 wing. He has so much potential, and he is extremely young. On Wednesday night, Riley got his first action in the NBA in Washington’s first game of the 2025-26 campaign.
Immediately, Riley looked lost on the court. The game was moving fast, and he seemed out of position quite often. Slowly, Riley eventually settled in.
By game’s end, he only logged four minutes of action but still had two points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal on 1-of-1 shooting from the field.
There is no reason to rush to any judgment on Riley. This is game one of many for the former Illini five-star, and slowly but surely, he will start getting fully acclimated to the NBA size, speed, and strength.
The great thing about the Wizards is the fact that most of the players on the team are doing the same. Riley isn’t alone in his development and journey in The Association. Players like Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George, among others, are trying to make a name, too. Riley will be able to learn from those guys and absorb their knowledge of the NBA game.
Will Riley got a crash course in his first NBA game
While it was only four minutes on Wednesday night, I am glad Riley got to play against a team that has a superstar on it.
There were multiple possessions when Riley had to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo on defense. This didn’t end well for the young Wizards player, but it was also a nice crash course in what he is going to have to face night in and night out in the NBA.
When you play against a player of the caliber of Giannis, it makes taking on other teams a little easier. Riley went up against one of the best, and now he can learn and improve moving forward.