Kispert has reached a mark in first two seasons no Wizard ever has originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Coming into Thursday night’s 119-108 win over the Toronto Raptors at Capital One Arena, Wizards shooting guard Corey Kispert entered play with 98 3-pointers made on the season.
Considering Kispert averages 4.5 attempts from beyond the arc a game and has been knocking them down at a 42.3% clip, his chances of making at least two in that matchup looked pretty good.
Entering the 4th quarter, Kispert needed to knock down just one more three-pointer to reach 100 on the season and become the first Wizards’ draft pick in franchise history to reach that mark in each of his first two seasons. With the Wizards starting to pull away against the Raptors on Thursday, Kyle Kuzma drove baseline and found Kispert open in the corner, ready to do what he does best. Not even Bradley Beal hit 100 in his first two NBA seasons.
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“The key is to not get too high or too slow,” Kispert said on his work ethic. “No matter if you have a good game or a bad game you got to keep doing what you’re learning, staying in the process and the ball kind of almost shoots itself you know at that point. You put in a bunch of work and you have to trust your work.”
COR3Y KISP3RT.#DCAboveAll x @corey_kispert pic.twitter.com/AhgYkKRYfd
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) March 3, 2023
At the beginning of the season Kispert missed the first eight games with a sprained left ankle he sustained during one of the Wizards preseason games. Since then, Kispert has been able to stay healthy, playing in 46 straight games. He accredits his teammates as a major reason for why he was able to stay locked in, despite the time he missed to start off the season.
“Basketball is what I love to do and not playing sucks,” Kispert said. “I’m just really thankful that I’m back out there again and have played a bunch of games in a row. The guys in the locker room kind of helped me stay involved and I was out there as much as I could. Being involved on the bench and being an active participant as a teammate is kind of ways you can stay involved.”
When the Wizards drafted Kispert with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, they were confident they were adding a much needed sharpshooter to the rotation. During his four years at Gonzaga, Kispert only improved each season with his shooting from beyond the arc. At the end of his collegiate career, he’d totaled 270 3-pointers and tallied 1,586 points in 137 games played for the Zags.
During his senior season, Kispert showed the NBA just why he was league ready. He played in all 32 games and had by far his best season at Gonzaga. Kispert averaged 18.6 points per game, scored a total of 595 points and made 91 3-pointers. The Bulldogs were headed for a perfect season, with a 31-0 record entering the NCAA title game but ultimately fell to the Baylor Bears, 86-70.
Kispert ranks fourth all-time on Gonzaga’s 3-point field goals list (270) and third in 3-point attempts (662). He ranks seventh in games played (137) and eighth in minutes played (3,755) for the Bulldogs.
Kispert has proven through his first two seasons in the NBA just why the Wizards would not regret taking him with their first-round pick. In his rookie year Kispert passed Beal for most 3-pointers made (112) and has continued to find his stride into his sophomore season. This season, primarily coming off the bench, Kispert has been averaging 9.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 27.0 minutes of action per game.
Even though Kispert is still finding his way in the NBA, it cannot be overlooked just how valuable his sharp shooting is. With Beal and Kuzma’s drive and kick skill set, in company with Kristaps Porzingis’ ability to create space, means plenty of catch-and-shoot opportunities for Kispert to knock down.
At the rate Kispert is at to begin his career, it is very possible he breaks into the top 50 for most 3-pointers made in NBA history. Beal recorded 274 3-pointers through the first two seasons of his career and currently sits at No. 47 on the all-time list with 1,503. Kispert knocked down 112 in his rookie year and is at 100 3-pointers and counting so far this season.
Over the weekend Kispert tallied four more 3-pointers in the back-to-back game against the Raptors and then three more against the Milwaukee Bucks. This pushes Kispert’s season total to 107 3-pointers made and should have no problem surpassing his total of 112 during his rookie season.
