Wizards Enter Season With No Expectations

The Washington Wizards are starting their season this week.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 22, 2024

Oct 18, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Johnny Davis (1) dribbles the ball to the basket against New York Knicks forward Chuma Okeke (18) during the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

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Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards won just 15 games last season and didn't do much to turn that around over the summer.

The Wizards drafted three first-round picks and traded Deni Avdija while signing Jonas Valanciunas as their prime free agent. Those moves are strong, but they don't do much to move the needle for this particular season coming ahead.

That's why Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey has placed the Wizards in last place in his power rankings to start the season.

"After winning just 15 games last season, the Washington Wizards should remain very much in the hunt for the league's worst record and the distinction of being its worst team," Bailey writes. "There are a few intriguing young players, including a potential three-and-D wing in Bilal Coulibaly and incoming No. 2 overall pick, Alexandre Sarr, but there's little to no star power. Washington doesn't even have to jettison its veterans (like Malcolm Brogdon, Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valančiūnas) to pile up losses and a better shot at the top 2025 pick (though it probably should and will)."

The other teams in the bottom five with the Wizards were the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets.

The Wizards have a lot of obstacles to overcome this season, but the other teams and their placement in the standings shouldn't be any of their concern. Their focus should be centered upon building the best lineup for the team that will help build a foundation for the best possible team to come.

The Wizards begin their season at home on Thursday night when they take on the defending champion Boston Celtics before the Cleveland Cavaliers come to town on Saturday to wrap up the first homestand of the season.

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

Published Oct 22, 2024

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.