I’ve spent The Bubble looking for signs of progress from the Wizards, and while those signs exist, the dispiriting losses to the New Orleans Pelicans and the Oklahoma City Thunder highlight how far the team still needs to go.
Losing isn’t what’s discouraging. It was clear in advance that the Wizards were the weakest team in Orlando, and then Davis Bertans and Bradley Beal didn’t come. In my pre-Bubble analysis, I had them as decisive underdogs in all eight games. They still might steal a win if the Boston Celtics or Milwaukee Bucks decide to rest their best players.