There is one universal rule of fandom: Never root against your team. Sports fans usually hold this truth to be self-evident, but what if your team’s short-term success actually hurts its long-term prospects? What if prolonged mediocrity only makes the inevitable rebuild that much more painful?
After the Wizards demoralizing 2-8 start to the season, a large segment of the fan-base is resigned to the fact that the Wizards, as presently constructed, are going nowhere. They have been surpassed by Indiana, Milwaukee, Boston, Toronto and Philadelphia. There is no switch to flip. There is no panic button to press.