The Washington Wizards knew this would be a tough season, but they didn't expect it to be quite this tough. However, the Wizards aren't changing course. They remain focused on the development of their young players.
"We are immersed in a very difficult stretch right now," Wizards general manager Will Dawkins told The Athletic.
"But we remain committed to the long-term sustainability of the organization," Dawkins added. "Our staff and players have continued to work, and are growing. We will continue to stack the positive developmental gains and, at the end of the season, put proper perspective on the totality of the year. Don’t worry about the whole thing right now; at the end of the year, let’s look up and see what we accomplished. They’re getting better, and they’re still working, and that’s the main thing. What we signed up for is hard, and we know it."
Before the season started, Dawkins said that Washington was still in the "deconstruction" phase of their rebuild. That means continue to move veteran players on and off the roster in various deals. With veterans coming and going this season, the Wizards have stayed true to the goal of getting their young players as much experience as possible.
2023 first-round pick Bilal Coulibaly and 2024 first-round picks Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George make up Washington's young core. All four players are averaging between 26.2 and 34.8 minutes per game.
