WILL Riley

In 74 games last season, Riley averaged 10.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 22.1 minutes a night for Washington. He shot 43.9 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from three and 80.0 percent from the free-throw line, with a true shooting mark of 54.8 percent on a 19.6 usage rate. He also added 0.7 steals and 0.1 blocks while turning the ball over 1.3 times a game. His plus-minus sat at -6.5, a reflection of how often he was on the floor during a tough season in Washington. Those numbers make him a rotation piece capable of scoring in flashes rather than a featured option, and they're the baseline fans should measure his second season against.

Washington's first four games have been a mixed bag for Riley. He scored 11 points in 11.0 minutes in a loss to New Orleans on Oct. 16, then managed just 3 points in 6.9 minutes in a loss to Brooklyn on Oct. 12. The two wins on the schedule brought different roles for him: 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in 23.5 minutes in a win over Detroit on Oct. 10, and a quieter 2 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist in 19.1 minutes in a win over New York on Oct. 8. His minutes have bounced between 6.9 and 23.5 across those four games, which says plenty about how Washington is still figuring out when to lean on him this season.

Riley's workload grew significantly by the end of last season. Over his final six games in April, he logged 34.3, 28.2, 37.9, 30.7, 35.1 and 36.9 minutes, all well above his season average of 22.1. The production came with it: 31 points against Miami on April 4, 30 points against Brooklyn on April 5, and 23 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists against Chicago on April 9. Washington lost all six of those games, and his plus-minus in that stretch ranged from -3.0 down to -30.0 in the April 10 loss to Miami. It was a glimpse of what a bigger role could look like for Riley, even if the win column didn't cooperate.

Riley is not on the injury report, and there is no injury history listed for him entering his second NBA season. For a 20-year-old forward still working his way into Washington's rotation, that clean bill of health is the first requirement before minutes and trust can follow. He played in 74 games last season, and he has been available for all four games to open this season. With no injury concerns attached to his name, the swings in his playing time so far — from 6.9 minutes to 23.5 minutes within the same week — look like a coaching decision rather than anything physical holding him back.