Utah Jazz
Mid-season grade: F
When it comes to grading each of these teams, I have to look at it from two different perspectives. First, I have to see if any team was able to live up to their potential heading into the season. Secondly, especially for the rebuilding teams, you have to see if there are any strides that they were able to make during the first half of the year. For the Utah Jazz, it was difficult to find any positive sign for this team on any of those fronts. The Jazz have fallen short of expectations heading into the season and I'm not sure they have made any strides on any other front in terms of internal development.
Because of that, I couldn't help to give the Jazz a failing grade for how they've operated during the first half of the season. That doesn't mean this year is going to be considered a complete disappointment, but it is hard to see or find promise and where this team is heading moving forward. I'm not sure what the NBA Trade Deadline or the final stretch of the season will look like for the Jazz but there's no question that there are some big decisions that need to be sorted out moving forward.
Washington Wizards
Mid-season grade: D
For as much as I believe the Washington Wizards are beginning to lay the foundation for the future, I still couldn't give this team a high grade for their performance during the first half of the season. For one, the Wizards have the worst record in the NBA and are likely going to finish in that spot. Will the NBA draft lottery balls reward them with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft? That's certainly hope but it's far from a guarantee if we know anything about how that works. And without any guarantees about their future, it's difficult to praise the Wizards for anything that they've done so far this season.
If the Wizards want to look back at this year as a success in resetting the roster, they certainly have to trade Kyle Kuzma, and perhaps another veteran player or two. Without that guarantee heading into the NBA Trade Deadline, it's even more difficult to look back at the first half of the year and objectively grade the Wizards on any type of curve.