NBA Power Rankings: Buying the Mavs in the West; Clippers finally turning corner?

28. Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards have not struggled to the extent that the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons have this season but they've only won two games in their last 17 tries. More than a quarter of the way through the season, it's officially a three-team race for the worst record in the NBA. And the Wizards find themselves right in the thick of it. What is most demoralizing for the Wizards is the fact that they lack consistent effort from night to night basis.

It's not a surprise that it's hard for the Wizards to get a strong grasp on which players are worth building around and which aren't. At least in my opinion, there are two real priorities for the Wizards right now. It's figuring out how to get the most out of their veteran assets on the trade market and then it's evaluating their young contributors - i.e. Jordan Poole, Bilal Coulibaly, Deni Advija, and Corey Kispert.

Right now, I'm not sure if the Wizards are excelling on any of those fronts. Maybe winning the lottery will cure all for this franchise? With the way this team has played this season, they're certainly going to have a chance to do that.