Wizards Showing Promise to Start Season

The Washington Wizards have had a hopeful start to the year.

Nov 4, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) and Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) defend in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Even though the Washington Wizards are just 2-4 to start the season, optimism is at an all-time high in the nation's capital.

The Wizards have been competitive in most of their games this season, providing a new energy that the team hasn't seen in years.

That's why Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes described the Wizards as "promising" when asked to use one word to encapsulate the team at this point in the year.

"If you squint, Bilal Couliably looks like a star, Kyshawn George has All-Defensive upside and Alex Sarr isn't the bust many suspected he'd be," Hughes writes. "Coulibaly is the undisputed focal point here, even with Sarr toting the superior draft pedigree. The second-year wing's game has expanded dramatically this season, to the point that he belongs on the list of the league's most intriguing prospects. At 17.7 points and 5.8 rebounds on a 60.7/47.6/70.2 shooting split, Coulibaly's production makes it easy to forget he might actually have the higher ceiling on D. These are good days in Washington, even if they won't feature many wins. They've been a long time coming."

Even if the Wizards don't win many games this season, the first few weeks of the year have shown that there is something there for the franchise to work with. The Wizards need to see these results sustain over a longer period of time in order to feel really comfortable about their direction, but the early returns have shown a lot of promise.

If the Wizards can keep moving along this trajectory, they will be in prime position to take another step in the right direction, and potentially a flirtation with the Play-In Tournament next season if things continue to go their way.

The Wizards are back on the floor tomorrow against the Memphis Grizzlies.

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

• Draymond Green Gets Honest About Wizards' Jordan Poole
• Wizards Move Up in Power Rankings
• Warriors Star Draymond Green Praises Wizards Rookies
• Surprising Wizards Guard Bilal Coulibaly Named in Trade Proposal
• Wizards Guard Named Early Candidate for Most Improved