Anyone who started this year remotely interested in the 2024-25 Washington Wizards had an implied arrangement with these Gen Z ballers. The deal was simple: They can keep growing and losing — but mostly losing — while fans stay patient without grumbling.
The Wizards can treat this entire NBA season as an extended how-to boot camp, almost like an internship for future franchise cornerstones, as long as there are discernible signs of progress. Fans should keep a strong stomach while watching [second overall pick Alex Sarr](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/11/18/wizards-knicks-alex-sarr-kat/?itid=lk_inline_manual_4) insist on shooting three-pointers that will end up as missed shots. Or hold the deep sighs when Kyshawn George, another rookie, uses too much of his hands or body and commits a foul. And don’t even think about rolling your eyes when point guard Bub Carrington, yet another rookie, loses a possession every now and then while trying to set up a teammate.
That’s the deal. The youngins can take time, compete and develop without moans from a jittery fan base, on the condition that the team actually, you know, *competes*. Yet 13 games in, and [nine deep](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/11/20/wizards-bad-defense/?itid=lk_inline_manual_5) into a losing streak, the Wizards, as a whole, aren’t holding up their end of this fragile bargain.
“That wasn’t what we need to be, what our standards were, and we have to own that,” Keefe told reporters after the 134-106 defeat, scowling while speaking. “We have to look at ourselves, and we have to get better.”
But even a casual observer of this project called the Wizards, who fell to 2-11, would notice the flaws. Not just in one blowout in New York but through this early season, when the team has regressed defensively despite its simple goals.
It’s not just a worrying trend that Washington has surrendered at least 124 points in four straight losses. Rather, it’s an identity. When a team gives up that many points in seven of the first 13 games played, that’s who it is.
the next couple of games are so important for the vibes. we got no chance against the Celtics but if we aren’t putting up our toughest effort it’s like what are doing. huge games for Keefe’s administration
I think this article is a bit of a reach and over reaction to say the least. We are on paper, one of the worst teams in the league in the first year of a full scale rebuild. All three of our rooks are starting and playing 25-30 min a game. The simple amount of inexperience that’s on the court at the moment is gonna make us lose a majority of games. And it’s not surprising that 3 kids who are 19 years old and have more or less won their whole life’s are possibly hitting a small slump. I’ve tried to watch almost every game so far this season and while the effort has seemed to “Flagg” a bit the past few games, I think this is just part of being the worst and figuring out our identity. Bub, sarr, and Keyshawn have shown that they’re incredibly level headed and mature individuals so while things may be temporarily frustrating I do not see them losing their identity or failing to bring one to the wizards.
I feel like I shouldn’t have to tell a sports writer this but you gotta be patient, we’re literally less than 15 games into our first full rebuild season and we’re doing just fine.
It shows a lot when the time we played our best is when we started Bilal, the rookies + JP. Like we sucked yeah, but the young guys made it fun to watch.
Putting Kuzma in the LU is just… such a net negative.
I’ve said this in just about every game thread over our last handful(5 or so), getting back in transition requires ZERO skill, it’s a want to. And you can discernibly see the lack of any type of consistent resistance in our transition defense. That has absolutely nothing to do with playing 3 rookies 25+ minutes a night or having one of the worst rosters in the league. This is something that every hopper has been drilled into their conscious from the day they start playing organized hoops.
I agree with the sentiment of the article, but I don’t think the examples are a good illustration of the problem. For me it is the apathetic defensive rebounding (several times nobody even jumped or boxed out), overhelping off of shooters, and only sprinting one way on the court.
I also don’t care what the final score is as long as the process is right.
6 comments
Column by [Candace Buckner](https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/candace-buckner/?itid=ai_top_bucknerc)
Anyone who started this year remotely interested in the 2024-25 Washington Wizards had an implied arrangement with these Gen Z ballers. The deal was simple: They can keep growing and losing — but mostly losing — while fans stay patient without grumbling.
The Wizards can treat this entire NBA season as an extended how-to boot camp, almost like an internship for future franchise cornerstones, as long as there are discernible signs of progress. Fans should keep a strong stomach while watching [second overall pick Alex Sarr](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/11/18/wizards-knicks-alex-sarr-kat/?itid=lk_inline_manual_4) insist on shooting three-pointers that will end up as missed shots. Or hold the deep sighs when Kyshawn George, another rookie, uses too much of his hands or body and commits a foul. And don’t even think about rolling your eyes when point guard Bub Carrington, yet another rookie, loses a possession every now and then while trying to set up a teammate.
That’s the deal. The youngins can take time, compete and develop without moans from a jittery fan base, on the condition that the team actually, you know, *competes*. Yet 13 games in, and [nine deep](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/11/20/wizards-bad-defense/?itid=lk_inline_manual_5) into a losing streak, the Wizards, as a whole, aren’t holding up their end of this fragile bargain.
What would you make of a team that has beaten just one opponent this year? (The Atlanta Hawks, twice.) That had declared it would have a better [“defensive disposition”](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/11/17/wizards-defense-pistons-losing-streak/?itid=lk_inline_manual_9) (the words of General Manager Will Dawkins), yet such pledges made in the preseason have not been seen on the court?
If you’re [Coach Brian Keefe](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIvTj-6-HPM), you would [take responsibility](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/11/19/wizards-losing-streak-brian-keefe/?itid=lk_inline_manual_10) for the lack of competitiveness that was most noticeable in the ninth consecutive loss, which happened Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
“That wasn’t what we need to be, what our standards were, and we have to own that,” Keefe told reporters after the 134-106 defeat, scowling while speaking. “We have to look at ourselves, and we have to get better.”
But even a casual observer of this project called the Wizards, who fell to 2-11, would notice the flaws. Not just in one blowout in New York but through this early season, when the team has regressed defensively despite its simple goals.
It’s not just a worrying trend that Washington has surrendered at least 124 points in four straight losses. Rather, it’s an identity. When a team gives up that many points in seven of the first 13 games played, that’s who it is.
Read more here: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/11/21/wizards-losing-streak/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/11/21/wizards-losing-streak/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com)
the next couple of games are so important for the vibes. we got no chance against the Celtics but if we aren’t putting up our toughest effort it’s like what are doing. huge games for Keefe’s administration
I think this article is a bit of a reach and over reaction to say the least. We are on paper, one of the worst teams in the league in the first year of a full scale rebuild. All three of our rooks are starting and playing 25-30 min a game. The simple amount of inexperience that’s on the court at the moment is gonna make us lose a majority of games. And it’s not surprising that 3 kids who are 19 years old and have more or less won their whole life’s are possibly hitting a small slump. I’ve tried to watch almost every game so far this season and while the effort has seemed to “Flagg” a bit the past few games, I think this is just part of being the worst and figuring out our identity. Bub, sarr, and Keyshawn have shown that they’re incredibly level headed and mature individuals so while things may be temporarily frustrating I do not see them losing their identity or failing to bring one to the wizards.
I feel like I shouldn’t have to tell a sports writer this but you gotta be patient, we’re literally less than 15 games into our first full rebuild season and we’re doing just fine.
It shows a lot when the time we played our best is when we started Bilal, the rookies + JP. Like we sucked yeah, but the young guys made it fun to watch.
Putting Kuzma in the LU is just… such a net negative.
I’ve said this in just about every game thread over our last handful(5 or so), getting back in transition requires ZERO skill, it’s a want to. And you can discernibly see the lack of any type of consistent resistance in our transition defense. That has absolutely nothing to do with playing 3 rookies 25+ minutes a night or having one of the worst rosters in the league. This is something that every hopper has been drilled into their conscious from the day they start playing organized hoops.
I agree with the sentiment of the article, but I don’t think the examples are a good illustration of the problem. For me it is the apathetic defensive rebounding (several times nobody even jumped or boxed out), overhelping off of shooters, and only sprinting one way on the court.
I also don’t care what the final score is as long as the process is right.