Wizards Move Up in Power Rankings

The Washington Wizards are 2-4. Where are they in the NBA's latest power rankings?

Jeremy Brener | Nov 5, 2024

Nov 4, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards are two weeks into the NBA season, and they have surpassed some expectations that were placed upon them.

While many had them tabbed as the worst team in the league coming into the season, the Wizards have looked competent to start the year.

ESPN released its most recent power rankings and had the Wizards at No. 27, three spots higher than the previous edition.

"Washington put together its first winning streak of the season with consecutive wins over the Hawks last week. While that streak ended in Mexico at the hands of the Heat, the Wizards have seen some positive signs early," ESPN insider Ohm Youngmisuk writes. "With Kyle Kuzma sidelined the past two games, young players like Bilal Coulibaly have stepped up. Coulibaly had 27 points, nine rebounds and three steals in the Wizards' second win over Atlanta on Wednesday. He followed that up with 22 points and eight rebounds against the Heat. Since scoring eight points in the season opener, Coulibaly scored 22 or more points in three of his next four games. And Jordan Poole continued his hot start with a team-high 24 points in the Wizards' loss to Golden State (his former team) on Monday night."

The only teams to rank lower than the Wizards were the Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers and winless Utah Jazz.

The Wizards have shown life, and the fact that the team has shown some growth while playing its younger players is an even better sign. Rebuilding teams can be bad, but there's a little more grace shown when it's because rookies or young players are getting a bulk of playing time. This means that the Wizards are at least developing and growing in these losses, and that's the ultimate goal for the team this season.

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

Published Nov 5, 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.