Wizards Have Avoided Complete Failure This Season

The Washington Wizards are the league's worst team, but have they completely failed?
Dec 8, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (7) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards forward Marvin Bagley III (35) defends in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Dec 8, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (7) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards forward Marvin Bagley III (35) defends in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards have the league's worst record at 3-19 so far this season, and things have not been good whatsoever.

However, Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale did not give the Wizards a failing grade in his report card series for the first quarter of the year. Instead, Favale gave the Wizards a D+ thanks to some potential flashed by some of the younger players on the roster.

"It would be one thing if the Wizards were dead last in offense and defense while exclusively featuring the kids. They're not. Among everyone on the team who logged at least 200 minutes, the clubhouse leaders in true usage (which factors in playmaking) are Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma, Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valančiūnas, according to BBall Index," Favale writes.

"Flashes from Bub Carrington (feel/playmaking), Kyshawn George (plug-and-playness) and Alex Sarr (defensive disruption) permeate the on-court product. And Bilal Coulibaly is going to be more well-rounded than even Washington expected."

The D+ tied the Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves, while the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans received a 'D' and the Indiana Pacers got a 'D-'.

The Wizards aren't focused on wins and losses this season, and that is reflected in the grade. If there was more weight attached to the record, the Wizards easily would have failed this exercise. But there is more than meets the eye for the Wizards' season.

The Wizards will need to pile on a few more wins to remind the rest of the league that they are making progress, but they are far more focused on internal growth than anything else.

The Wizards will now return to the court after four full days of rest as they take on the league-best Cleveland Cavaliers on the road. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Friday inside RocketMortgage Fieldhouse.

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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.