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Wizards rookie Corey Kispert on his NBA debut and going viral

By Chase Hughes

Kispert on his NBA debut and going viral originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

While Corey Kispert will never forget his NBA debut, which came on Friday night in a win over the Indiana Pacers, Wizards fans may remember it for a particular facial expression he made. After Davis Bertans hit a go-ahead three with 35 seconds remaining in overtime, Kispert shot him a look as he returned to the bench for a timeout and the screenshot immediately went viral on social media.

“I remember giving him a look. I was scrolling through Instagram and saw it [later that night],” Kispert said. “He’s a bad man. That was a crazy shot. I had to make sure he knew about it.”

Though Kispert said he wished he had gone viral for making a great play on the court, the time will come for that. This was his first taste of a real NBA game that counts after playing some in the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League and the preseason.

It was a small step to where he wants to go. He scored two points in 10 minutes with a rebound, an assist and a steal.

But it also represented a lifelong dream, to play in the NBA. Kispert said his sister flew in to attend the game, making it even more special.

“It was great to get in there and just kind of get my feet wet. I made good plays, made bad plays. Did good things, made mistakes. Now it’s all about growing and building each time I get out there,” Kispert said.

Kispert, 22, said what stood out to him the most about playing his first NBA game, besides the speed and talent of the players, was how much longer the games are than in college. There are an extra two minutes per quarter, so eight more minutes per game.

As he now understands, a lot can happen in eight minutes of game time. It doesn’t take long for a team to go on a run and change the momentum of a game.

Kispert said he’s also learning by asking his teammates questions on the bench. He’s a bit self-conscious about asking what he calls “dumb questions,” but is doing whatever he can to learn the ropes.

Part of that process is observing how his teammates go to work, including Bertans. Kispert was drafted 15th overall by the Wizards because of his three-point shooting and, in particular, his ability to catch and shoot. Bertans happens to be one of the best outside shooters in the NBA and has led the league two consecutive years in catch-and-shoot threes.

“Just the way he prepares, the way he gets himself ready. His work ethic day in and day out is really something I’ve tried to look at and model,” Kispert said. “He does the same thing every day and he’s really particular about how he shoots it and when he shoots it and how the ball goes through the rim. Like super small details, he’s looking at it through a microscope.”

Kispert flashed his potential during the preseason with a game-tying catch-and-shoot three against the Knicks in the final minute of the fourth quarter. He came off a screen and smoothly dropped in a long range shot in a big moment for him, considering his inexperience.

Right now, he has to wait his turn with the Wizards boasting considerable depth and especially at his position. He understands that, but has confidence he will get to where he wants to go in due time.

“Each day I’m going to get better and better and the game is going to slow down. I believe I have a chance to be really special, absolutely,” Kispert said.

Wes Unseld Jr. had Wizards watch film of entire 2nd half collapse vs. Clippers

By Chase Hughes
Unseld Jr. had Wizards re-watch entire 2nd half vs. Clippers originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonWASHINGTON -- The Wizards were off on Wednesday, giving everyone involved with their disastrous 35-point collapse against the Clippers on Tuesday some time to clear the air and get over the initial shock. On Thursday, they sat down as a team at their practice facility and watched the entire second half together.Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said that doesn't happen often in the NBA, but in this case it was needed. They had to relive as a group exactly what transpired so they can prevent it from occurring again."Yeah, it’s unusual. That’s an unusual game," Unseld Jr. said.The Wizards were outscored 80-49 after halftime against the Clippers. They led by 35 points in the first half and were up by seven with 20 seconds remaining.The Clippers won the game thanks to a four-point play converted by Luke Kennard with 1.9 seconds on the clock. The NBA has since released their two-minute report, which said that play was incorrectly called. There were other missed calls that could have helped the Wizards.Unseld Jr., though, put more focus on how the Wizards got into that position in the first place. Losing a 35-point lead comes down to much more than just a few mistakes by the referees.Unseld Jr. felt going through it all in a film session setting was productive."There’s feedback, there was some dialogue. I think it’s great. The more we can do that, the better. They take ownership of it, they talk out some things that were maybe unclear amongst themselves. I can help give them clarity," Unseld Jr. said.As for what went wrong for the Wizards, clearly quite a bit. They had eight turnovers as a team in the fourth quarter alone. They also missed five free throws in the final frame.More generally, Unseld Jr. saw some intangibles the Wizards were lacking."I think the attention to detail was not there. I think the urgency wasn’t necessarily always present. I think they at times, and give the Clippers credit, they played harder," Unseld Jr. said.The timing of this loss for the Wizards was interesting in that it came before three days off, their longest break of the season so far that wasn't created unexpectedly by a COVID-19 postponement. They had more time to think about this one than the Wizards often do after games.That gave them the opportunity to really digest this one and make sure they learn from it.
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