The Washington Wizards jettisoned their roster and that’s not so bad if fans can stand a couple of really bad seasons.
A teardown worked for the Washington Nationals when two awful seasons brought Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper in subsequent drafts. Eventually, Strasburg helped win a World Series championship
So, give the Wiz a little time to prove whether they can rebuild, too. After a week of constant trades from Bradley Beal to their first-round pick with Kristaps Porzingis and Chris Paul in between, Washington came away with two fistfuls of second-rounders, a couple of veterans, a future first-rounder and probably a bag of balls somewhere.
Honk if you know who’s on this roster after making more deals than a federal prosecutor.
The incoming centerpiece of the turbulent week is not a player, but the freedom to make future moves now that Beal’s max contract is gone. Free at least to piece together a real contender. That is, if done right. We’ll know that answer by 2025.
But the short term sees a French player that needs some growth. (Wow, the legacy of Ernie Grunfeld is impossible to shed.) Washington traded up to get Bilal Coulibaly, a good defensive forward who has a half-season of a resume to merit being chosen seventh. The NBA Summer League games next month in Vegas will show if the pick is worthwhile or another wait-and-see that we never see. Maybe he’s a cornerstone of this new era or perhaps a placeholder as the team burns through a couple of years to find its real roster.
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That’s basically what the Wiz are doing – dumping nearly their whole roster and seeing if a reset works as well as unplugging your frozen computer.
It’s a low-risk move given the past generation has mostly seen bad teams. How much worse can it get? Well, it can always get worse. Who is scoring points for this team come the fall? Fans need someone to watch even in defeat. Nobody likes defensive basketball where players try hard, but still lose.
That’s what this season will mostly produce. The new front office will ask for patience, but that’s not a word Washingtonians trust. Their loyalty has been burned by too many teams and too many times to offer unwavering support. Teams have to earn it and the Wiz need more aces for this bad hand
You gotta admire the team’s willingness to gamble rather than slug along. The next two drafts probably bring top prospects. After that, the Wiz are on the clock to contend or another reboot will follow.
Follow Rick Snider on Twitter: @Snide_Remarks
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