The Washington Wizards are currently at a record of 2-11 and are the worst team in the Eastern Conference. Most people would be alarmed at the record and state of the Wizards but with this being the 2nd year of the Will Dawkins regime in DC, he’d be the first person to tell you that this is all a part of the plan. Suffer now to celebrate later. Most fans wanted to hit the reset button after years of being happy with just being the 8th seed and flopping out in the 1st round of the playoffs. This new front office wants something else, a sustainable championship contender. Yet, skeptics remain but why?
One reason people remain skeptical is the fact that the team hasn’t won an NBA Championship since 1978. 1978, wow indeed. Not only was I not born yet, but it was also the first year that the Larry King Show aired and the last time that Volkswagon produced the Bug. It’s been a while and in the age of dynasties (Bulls and Warriors to name a few), you can understand why fans are hungry for a title but that can’t be the biggest reason why, right?
This fanbase has had the honor of watching Gilbert Arenas and John Wall excite hoops fans in the DMV but would often fail to get past the 2nd round. There are many reasons why Arenas and Wall couldn’t bring a title to DC. Not bringing in a co-star, missing in the draft, and giving away 1st round picks are a few good ones. If Ernie Grunfeld or Tommy Sheppard couldn’t make it work, how can Will Dawkins?
Easy, by building from the inside out. Not only has GM Will Dawkins and President of basketball operations Michael Winger revamped the scouting department, but they have also hired a developmental Head Coach in Brian Keefe who has had a hand in the development of such players as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. They have also built up the training facilities to a point never before seen in DC. They also have better food if that means anything to you but the point is, they’ve made changes that will pay dividends in the future. They also have 2nd year Wing Bilal Coulibaly, who looks like he’s breaking out this season, his second in the league. They drafted three high-impact rookies this year in Sarr, Carrington, and George. Add fringe All-Star Jordan Poole, Corey Kispert, and Saddiq Bey, and the fact that they’ll be in the position to draft Cooper Flagg or Ace Bailey in 2025. Yes, the Wizards are headed in the right direction. It’s not only about where we’ve been, it’s about where we’re headed.
