The Washington Wizards avoided a franchise-record 17th consecutive loss, beating the Denver Nuggets 122-113 Saturday for their first win since Oct. 30.
Among Washington’s three victories this season, that is the most impressive as the team had to overcome Nikola Jokic’s 56-point, 16-rebound, eight-assist performance.
Jordan Poole scored 39 points for the Wizards, and the NBA record of 28 consecutive losses isn’t in jeopardy.
There are two important pieces to the Wizards’ season that go beyond their 3-18 record.
One, the long road on a rebuild is painful and yet necessary for a franchise that hasn’t won a first-round series since 2016-17.
Two, navigating this rebuild while developing their young players and without cementing a loser’s mentality is tricky.
Can the Wizards be the current Houston Rockets, whose rebuild through the draft and smart free-agent signings looks good right now, or will they be the “Trust the Process” Philadelphia 76ers?
Wizards owner Ted Leonsis made the decision to go this route, tabbing president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins before the start of the 2023-24 season to find sustainable success. Before that, the Wizards were a borderline playoff team and a second-round team at best over the past decade, a majority of that with Bradley Beal and John Wall leading the way.
Since winning 49 games in 2016-17, the Wizards have won more than 40 games just once and had seasons with 32, 25, 34, 35 and 35 victories before ownership decided on a dedicated rebuild.
Last season, the Wizards won just 15 games. They will be in the same neighborhood this season, and they will try to capitalize in the draft. Winger and Dawkins have both spent time in Oklahoma City working with Sam Presti, who has mastered the art of drafting and using assets to build a contender.
Presti’s method revolves around getting as many first-round picks as possible, especially lottery picks/top-10 picks, and hitting on at least a couple of those picks. He did it with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden in the late 2000s and with Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Aaron and Wiggins via the draft and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander through a trade using assets he accumulated in this current iteration of the Thunder.
While not easy to replicate, it is a path to an extended run of success where deep playoff runs are possible for six, seven, eight seasons and perhaps longer.
In the past two drafts, the Wizards have acquired Bilal Coulibaly (No. 7 in 2023 draft), Alex Sarr (No. 2 in 2024), Bub Carrington (No. 14 in 2024) and Kyshawn George (No. 24 in 2024). On opening night, the Wizards started three players 20 years old or younger.
They will add to that youth in the 2025 draft with a lottery pick that should be top-five in a talented class. And with tradeable assets on the roster, the Wizards could add at least one more first-round pick in 2025. They also have the 38th pick, and a savvy front office can find a contributor early in the second round.
But progress will be slow, and losing can be devastating. How do the Wizards develop players without collateral damage to the young players’ mentality?
“When you’re in our position, organizationally and in this part of the season, the stuff we’re going through really tests you mentally, physically and emotionally and you have to keep reminding yourself that the really good players and great ones in this league and even in life don’t run away from hard times. You run to them,” Wizards guard Corey Kispert told reporters after a recent loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. “Hard times like this that we’re in is what develops strong character. It helps you move forward.’
Kispert acknowledged the losing is taxing but said, “There’s still a lot of positivity within the room, and there’s still a lot of encouragement and positive attitudes within the room, as well. So, while things are tough, they’re not toxic and not unbearable.”
The coaching and player development staffs plus active involvement from the front office can help players keep their focus on a larger goal. It’s happening with the Rockets. They won 17 games in 2020-21, 20 in 2021-22, 22 in 2022-23 and then 41 last season. They are 15-8 and tied for second place in the Western Conference this season, led by a young core of Jabari Smith Jr., Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason and Amen Thompson – all 23 and younger.
The Orlando Magic are right there, too, in a promising rebuild. They have drafted Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, Jonathan Isaac and Tristan da Silva. They made the playoffs last season with 47 victories and are in third place in the East this season.
Even the Detroit Pistons, whose rebuild has been fraught with coaching and front-office makeovers and losing seasons, are starting to show promise with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and Ron Holland II.
A successful rebuild is possible but not easy including for a fanbase. Progress is not measured in victories early in the process.
The larger story is how the Wizards navigate this season and next season and if progress is part of that story.
