NBA Analysis: The Washington Wizards’ Failure

Many NBA franchises fail to meet their expectations time and time again and crush fans’ spirits in the process. The Detroit Pistons have been a longtime laughing stock for NBA fans. The Philadelphia 76ers, considering their championship aspirations coming into the season, are in a horrible position as they sit 12th in the Eastern Conference. The Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans have just five wins thus far in the year. However, the team that should garner the most pity is the Washington Wizards.

The Wizards have been one of the most unfortunate, or poorly run, teams in the NBA. The team has not had a 50-plus win season since 1979, and in the past seven seasons, the team has not exceeded 35 wins. In the past 25 seasons, the Wizards have only made the playoffs nine times. The last time the Wizards went to the Conference Finals was in 1979. Nearly 50 years have passed since then, and the team is still in the rebuilding phase. The Wizards need to carry out a lot of diligent and careful work to guarantee that this team has a shot to compete against the modern NBA powerhouses.

The Wizards continue to tank since the New York Knicks own their 2025 first-round draft pick with a top-10 protection. As the Wizards will most likely finish within the bottom 10 teams, the team will get to enjoy their ticket for the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. The Knicks, if the Wizards’ pick is top-10, will then own the Wizards’ 2026 pick with a top-eight protection. The protection here likely hints that the Wizards will continue to tank for the 2025-2026 season. While it makes sense, in the long run, to continue rebuilding the team and keep your first-rounders, how long can fans continue supporting a team that has been rebuilding for so many years?

While the draft is a long-term solution to a team’s problems, we still must consider the Wizards’ draft history. Washington has been dreadful in selecting future stars, with Bradley Beal as the last All-Star level pick. Beal is currently 31 years old and was drafted in 2012. Only three of the eight previously selected first-round players are still on the team. Those three players are Alex Sarr, Johnny Davis, and Corey Kispert, drafted from 2021 to 2024.

Kispert has become a solid role player for the team, which would be fine if he was not the 15th overall pick. Davis was the 10th overall pick, and the team has given him few minutes or opportunities to succeed. Sarr was the second overall pick this year and is playing 26.8 minutes per game, yet he is incredibly inefficient. He is shooting 38.3% from the field, 25% from the three-point range, and only averaging 10.6 points per game. His defensive numbers are suitable, collecting 1.9 blocks, 0.8 steals, and 6.3 rebounds per game.

However, having such numbers is an absolute catastrophe for the second-overall pick. The first overall pick in last year’s draft, Victory Wembanyama, in just 2.9 more minutes per game, averaged 3.6 blocks per game, 1.2 steals per game, and 10.6 rebounds per game. Those stats do not even reflect Wembanyama’s offensive prowess, which exceeds Sarr’s abilities significantly. The point here is that the Wizards have had an awful draft history, and their retention of players might be even worse. For this rebuild to succeed, they must make careful and wise decisions throughout the draft process.

If I were the Wizards general manager, I would make some necessary choices to guarantee fan retention and team success. First, if the Wizards have the first overall pick in the 2025 draft, they must select Cooper Flagg. He is only 17 years old and averaging 17 points, nine rebounds, and roughly four assists per game for Duke University. He is the best talent that the United States has seen in many years, and he seems ready to compete in the NBA based on his Team USA scrimmage performance. Second, let the young talent develop. Carlton “Bub” Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly, and Johnny Davis need to continue to get more opportunities so that the talent they acquired there does not go to waste. Davis already being out of the team’s primary rotation is extremely sad and disappointing. Third, make good decisions in the free agent market. I would advise avoiding large contracts unless they are for young players with good potential. Better yet, the Wizards should sign great role players for decent contracts so the young players have experienced veterans who can help develop their talent. Please do not sign anyone who will take away opportunities and minutes from players with monumental talents that cost valuable draft picks.

I have no expertise in the NBA and am merely a Chicago Bulls fan, but I know the Wizards have been an inadequate franchise. My worries and suggestions are, in my opinion, reasonable and resonate with anyone who has watched the NBA for over five years. I hope the team can finally succeed in the league for the Wizards’ fans’ sake. The most important thing is hoping your team can improve through the most difficult times. However, the Wizards still need to show their capacity to improve and use the opportunities each season brings.