The Washington Wizards’ struggles stem from management’s ongoing commitment to playoff mediocrity
When you hit a wall and/or can’t get over the hump for several seasons, management usually turns the page and brings in new players and coaches. On the contrary, the Washington Wizards have done no such thing.
The Wizards have made it to the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, but have never advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals or made significant changes – outside of replacing head coach Randy Wittman with Scott Brooks in 2016. President Ernie Grunfeld and the Wizards have been committed to playoff mediocrity throughout their time span of relevance, and now it’s run its course.
The Wizards have gotten off to a treacherous start this season. While they’ve played better over the last week, they’re still an underwhelming 5-10. Defense has been the biggest reason for their struggles. Going into Friday night, the Wizards were 29th in the NBA in points surrendered (116.9) and opponents were shooting 47.5 percent from the field (which is 26th in the NBA) and 38.8 percent from beyond the arc against them (which is 29th in the NBA).
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The featured part of the Wizards is their prolific backcourt duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal, who are each two of the best players at their respective positions. Wall is a high-impact player on both ends, and Beal is one of the best scorers in the association; forward Otto Porter Jr. is one of the best perimeter shooters and defenders in the NBA; Markieff Morris is a reliable two-way player; Dwight Howard is a proven commodity in the paint.
Off the bench, the Wizards feature the likes of Kelly Oubre Jr. – who went into Friday night averaging 11.8 points per game – Austin Rivers, and Jeff Green. There’s clearly talent in place in their starting five and off their bench, so why are the Wizards off to such an alarming start? Is it the insertion of Howard into their rotation? Is it Brooks? Is it they’re playing teams that are simply better than them?
It’s hard to pinpoint to what, or who, is the problem with this team. But you can very easily point to management for some blame off the bat. Over the last three seasons, the Wizards have prioritized keeping their core intact which is partially justifiable. They’re a young team who has endured its fair share of encouraging moments. With that said, you can’t keep hitting a wall and doing nothing about it.
The worst place to be in this league is purgatory. If you’re a contender, you can trust your core to take you deep into playoffs and ride on their efforts. If you’re at the bottom of your respective conference, you can look to get younger and potentially snatch a high draft pick. The Wizards appear to be in NBA purgatory.
So, who should the Wizards take phone calls on and/or engage other teams on in trades? For starters, Wall should be off the table. Barring an absurd, over the top trade offer that includes multiple first-round draft picks – from a non-playoff team – and several blossoming young players, trading one of the faces of Washington D.C. sports doesn’t do the Wizards any good.
It’s a different story for Beal and Porter. Yes, they’re each making in excess of $25 million a year through the 2020-21 season, but the two wings can provide a team with a franchise player or rotation staple. Plus, if they were free agents this offseason, they’d likely cash in on similar contracts to the ones they currently sport.
Sure, he hasn’t contributed to championships, or 50-plus win seasons, but Beal is a proven go-to scorer. He went into Friday night averaging a team-high 22.3 points per game and has accumulated 20-plus points per game since the 2016-17 season. On the other hand, while he’s not a bonafide scorer, Porter can be a lockdown perimeter defender, and perhaps he grows into a bigger contributor on the offensive end on a new team.
Trading Beal and/or Porter could be a tough pill to swallow for the Wizards, but if they don’t act quickly, their trade value and the team’s chance of adding premier, or intriguing young talent, will diminish. Meanwhile, if the Wizards act before the NBA trade deadline, they could get back some young players and draft picks, though they would likely have to take back a large salary for the sake of evening out the money.
If the Wizards go through with such a trade (or two) and they aren’t in the playoffs at year’s end, they will have gotten younger, deeper, and will have a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Sounds like a solid start to a retooling project, no?
The Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Indiana Pacers are better and more well-equipped for the long haul than the Wizards; it’s time for the Wizards to turn the page.
The Pacers knew when it was time to move on earlier this decade when their core of Paul George, Roy Hibbert, Lance Stephenson, and David West couldn’t get past the Miami Heat. The Atlanta Hawks began to get younger after their core of Al Horford, Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap, and Kyle Korver couldn’t do damage in the playoffs.
The Los Angeles Clippers acted accordingly when Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan couldn’t pose a threat in the playoffs. The Wizards haven’t been able to get past the best of the East, let alone themselves.
The Wizards made it to the semifinals in 2014, but the ensuing season, they held the same fate. In 2016, they missed the playoffs. In 2017, they made it back to the semifinals, but lost to the Celtics in seven games after they couldn’t win a game in TD Garden. Last season, the Wizards lost in the first round to the Raptors and didn’t win a single game on the road.
Every year, the same questions are asked about the Wizards. Will they get over the playoff hump? Will management make a big trade? Will someone not named Wall, Beal, and Porter come into their own as a significant contributor? And every year it’s the same outcome. They’re a team with a great backcourt and some proven players, but one that can’t come up big when it matters most.
The Washington Wizards could make a playoff push and quickly get back into the swing of things in the East. But the time has come to start entertaining some drastic changes. Being committed to a tease can only go on for so long.