Let’s be real about the Wizards situation. They are in year two of their rebuild. They have veterans to move at or before the Trade Deadline. They have young up-and-coming players ready to maximize their talent and take the next step. They have a first-time Head Coach in Brian Keefe and a first-time General Manager in Will Dawkins, They have a clean slate practically. While they’re in the infancy stage of the rebuild, you already see what the future holds for the young Wiz-Kidz and it brings up an important question, does the rebuild have to take that long? There are two reasons why the Wizards will be young and dangerous and ready to tackle the Eastern Conference sooner than expected.
The first reason is Head Coach Brian Keefe. When he took over for Wes Unseld Jr in the middle of last season, the players reacted and bought in early in the process. If you look at his resume as a developmental coach, he’s had a hand in developing players such as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. He gets the most out of his players and has established his culture of accountability in DC. The mantra in DC is “play hard, play to win” and you see that with this team. To fully establish his defensive system, he will need the personnel, and Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr aren’t a bad start. Talking about Sarr and B-Coul.
Looking at the personnel problem in DC, it’s not an issue at all. You have vets like Jonas Valanciunas, Malcolm Brogdon, and Kyle Kuzma who will be traded for assets. You have a certified star and fringe All-Star in Jordan Poole who hasn’t even reached his prime yet. You have solid role players in Corey Kispert and Saddiq Bey who can be key contributors or trade pieces. Their young core ain’t too shabby either. Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr look like stars in the making, and Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George look like draft steals. All the Wizards have to do is add to their young core and establish chemistry and the Wizards will be one of the most exciting young up-and-coming teams in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards will look to add a player like Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, or Dylan Harper in the 2025 NBA draft and if you want to look forward, they also have an opportunity to add a player like Cam Boozer or AJ Dybantsa in 2026. The future is bright in DC, they just need time and time is the one thing they have.
