With the end of the regular season, the Washington Wizards are not one of the 20 teams with an opportunity to play in the postseason. The season arguably couldn’t have been worse. However, there are a few significant silver linings that the franchise can scan over when looking into the team’s future. Let’s look for ourselves.
Wizards Horrid Season Shows Future Potential
Overall Season
Before we look at the bright side, it’s necessary to glance at the season. The Wizards finished 18-64 (.220) and last in the Eastern Conference. Their record was only slightly above the Utah Jazz for last in the league. They also finished last in offensive rating, 28th in defensive rating, and last in net rating. Jordan Poole led the team in scoring with 20.5 points a game, with only six players actively on the roster averaging over ten. Alex Sarr led the team in rebounds for active players with 6.5, and Poole again led with assists at 4.5.
While the season certainly was not a franchise-best (quite the opposite), there were some bright spots that the team will need to build off of if they want to make the present roster competitive in the near future. Washington’s future is certainly bright.
The Rookies
While the 2024 draft was not one with a particularly exciting player like second-year Victor Wembanyama or one of the best prospects to ever come out of college in Cooper Flagg, the Wizards took their chances on three guys. Sarr was picked second, with Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George both being traded for at their picks of 14 and 24. The beginning of the season wasn’t strong for anyone on the team except for Poole. However, the latter of the season showed their true promise. Sarr, George, and Carrington are the first rookie trio to each hit 100 threes in a season and broke several rookie franchise records as well.
Sarr ended the season by pushing his name back into the Rookie of the Year race, averaging 15.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists after the All-Star break. With averages of 13/6.5/2.4 on the season, there is something for him to improve on, but the promise has been shown since the Wizards entered March. He has showcased his potential to be an elite rim protector and a decent all-around offensive threat.
George ended the season strong. His shooting took a remarkable jump (5%) from January to February, and it helped him break the franchise record for the fastest rookie to hit 100 threes in a season. He averaged 11 points through March on 40.5% from the field and 35.4% from three. He will need to build off of the later half of the season, but he will certainly be a big part of what Washington builds moving forward.
Carrington showed his promise at the beginning of the season before his averages began slipping towards the end. His shooting splits suffered the most, pre-break to post-break his field percentages dropped around one percent, with his three percentage dropped four percent. However, Carrington still dropped his career-high (32) at the beginning of April. Carrington may need to battle for minutes headed into next season. With the emergence of AJ Johnson and the possibility of adding another guard if the Wizards don’t get Flagg, minutes might be scarce.
Trade Pieces
At the deadline, the Wizards dealt Kyle Kuzma to the Bucks in exchange for Khris Middleton and AJ Johnson. They also dealt Jonas Valančiūnas to the Kings in exchange for, now waived Sidy Cissoko, and Colby Jones. The Wizards also grabbed Marcus Smart from Memphis.
Middleton was brought in to be a veteran presence for the youngest roster in the league. He has shown even in his older age, he can still contribute while guiding the young guys. With a player-option opening up routes for the Wizards with Middleton, he’ll look to still produce on the rebuilding roster. He finished the season averaging 10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists across the 14 games he played in Washington.
Johnson could be labeled a “risky” piece, as his short time in Milwaukee didn’t show much promise. However, Johnson has shown he could potentially be a nice option for the Wizards in the future. Johnson ended the season averaging 9.1 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.4 rebounds for the Wizards.
Johnson said in an interview recently, “I can be a superstar 100%.” He will need to grind out in the summer and show up in the summer league. If he can do that, Johnson may just add a few more minutes to what could already be a much bigger role next season.
Jones was an interesting pick-up as well. He spent two seasons with the Kings, and never really proved he was worth a spot on the roster for a team attempting to be a playoff threat. However, playing for a team competing for a top-three pick in the draft will show some difference. Playing about 26 minutes a game, Jones shot an impressive 46.6% from the field, and a not-so-impressive 30.8% from three. Since joining the team, Jones had five games with double figures, and three of those were 20+ performances. His future in Washington may be up in the air for now. However, he seems to have at least a chance to battle for some rotational minutes headed into next season.
Smart has had a downward spiral since winning Defensive Player of the Year in the 2021-2022 NBA season. After his two seasons in Memphis with nothing to show for it, he takes a different role in Washington. Smart will now be taking on the veteran role for these younger guards who will certainly need to improve on the defensive end of the court. His averages will not jump off the stat sheet. In 15 games with the Wizards, he averaged 9.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. However, his playoff experience with the Celtics and defensive mentality will be crucial to the development of the young players surrounding him.
2025 Draft
The next big event for Washington is the draft. If they secure the number one pick, Flagg will add superstar potential to a roster already loaded with decent future pieces. If not, Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, and Dylan Harper would also be pieces the front office would love to add. All of these guys have real promise entering the league. When paired with the younger guys and older veterans already in Washington, it could be dangerous. Anyone drafted by Washington should be excited as they will be playing alongside a talented young core.
The Last Word
This season may have been a letdown to anyone who claims the Wizards as their favorite team. However, they can be extremely excited about the future that could be ahead if everything works in their favor. The front office has put together an extremely intriguing roster headed into the next few seasons. Hopefully, within a few years, Washington will get back to the NBA playoffs. At least next year they may play for something other than draft odds.
Photo credit: © Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
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