The Wizards are in perhaps the least enjoyable position for an NBA team. They’re treading water, wallowing in the mire of mediocrity. They’re the pre-Giannis Bucks and the pre-Process Sixers. They’re the mid-aughts Nets.
Those teams are all different, sure, but they’re really the same. They have some pieces and are competitive enough on a game-to-game basis, but they’re not going to contend for a title, or even a conference title without some good fortune. Here’s the general formula:
- Overestimate the strength of the team’s core. In this case, it’s a core of John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter, and to a lesser extent Marcin Gortat, Markieff Morris, and Kelly Oubre.