Blame who you want to blame. Blame Ernie Grunfeld. Blame Ted Leonsis.
The Wizards never had a plan to build. They were always the team that tried to patch problems with mid-level to mediocre veterans. But there is hope for this team. They are building the organization that is befitting of today’s NBA.
It looks like they are finally out of that outdated thinking. The Wizards are actually giving their younger players minutes. For years, you heard how minutes needs to be earned. That sounds great but, in reality, it’s incredibly short-sighted and it isn’t a way to build a winning organization. When you are in the same position that the Wizards have been in, if the organization picked a young player, they should’ve played him almost immediately.
We are seeing that with Rui Hachimura. Troy Brown Jr. is healthy and now getting minutes, the minutes he should’ve been getting the last half of last season.
There are also the players that were acquired from the Lakers. Moritz Wagner (22) and Isaac Bonga (19) can be solid role players on a winning team. Then there’s Davis Bertans (26) who might not be young-young but the Latvian has a skill the Wizards need really bad. He can shoot the three. Last season, the four-year veteran shot 42.9% from three-point distance for the Spurs. This season Bertans is averaging almost seven three-point attempts a game and he’s shooting at a 50% clip.
The Wizards might not be off to the most optimal start but the feeling around this team is different. It certainly makes the 2-6 a lot more palatable.
Wizards GM Tommy Shepherd has gotten off to a good start but the real work begins once John Wall comes back. The roles that the younger players will have to be adjusted to play with a ball dominant guard like Wall. How does Shephard and, head coach Scott Brooks balance the delicacy of the situation will be key. That along with Wall’s willingness to change is game but that’s a different conversation for a different time.
Shephard was able to buy time by getting Bradley Beal to agree to an extension but he’ll have to address how to get Beal to stay here long-term.
The landscape in the Washington DC area has changed. In the last two years, the Washington Capitals, Washington Mystics and Washington Nationals have all won championships. The competition for fan dollars and local media time was already a challenge. Now that DC is a city of champions, it will be even tougher.
But there is hope. The Wizards are getting the young players minutes and they are showing they can play in this league. Maybe just maybe they’ll be the next team in the DC area having a parade down Constitution.
