Inside The Wizards

Wizards Among NBA's Worst Cores

The Washington Wizards stars don't stack up well against the rest of the NBA.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 15, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) attempts to shoot against Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
Nov 15, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) attempts to shoot against Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images / Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards are a rebuilding team with four first-round picks from the past two drafts, so it should not be a surprise that the core is one of the worst in the league.

ESPN writer Tim Bontemps identified each team's three best players and ranked them against the rest of the league. The Wizards' core, featuring Bub Carrington, Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly, finished at No. 27 on the list.

"If this is a list for the next five years and beyond, Washington would be much higher, as rookies Carrington and Sarr and second-year forward Coulibaly have all shown flashes this season. The Wizards are going to lose a lot of games and are set to add another high lottery pick to this mix again next June, but there's a lot to like about the long-term potential of this group going forward," Bontemps writes.

The only teams to rank lower on the list were the Portland Trail Blazers with Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan, the Chicago Bulls with Coby White, Josh Giddey and Patrick Williams, and the Brooklyn Nets with Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney and Cam Thomas.

Carrington, Sarr and Coulibaly were all taken in the lottery over the past two years, so they are ideally who the Wizards want to build around. Considering all three players start, the Wizards have shown a commitment to the youth movement, which is a good sign for the rebuild.

While the Wizards will likely add players with higher ceilings than the three of them in the next draft or two, the entire trio has the chance to be part of the next great team in Washington in some capacity.

The Wizards are back in action tomorrow as they take on the defending champion Boston Celtics in the NBA Cup.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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