The Wizards Tank Is Dissolving

The Washington Wizards are no longer at the bottom of the league. After Saturday night’s impressive win over the Denver Nuggets, the Wizards have passed the Utah Jazz for the worst record in the NBA. With just a month left in the season, the Wizards have turned their season around but now are at risk of hurting their lottery odds. Why did the tank dissolve? More importantly, has this recent stretch of good games been a sign of what’s to come in Washington next season and beyond? Let’s dive into the Wizards’ recent stretch and what it means for them moving forward.

The tank race for Cooper Flagg has been well underway. The Jazz and Pelicans are both officially eliminated from play-in contention. While the Wizards and Hornets aren’t eliminated yet, they would need a lot to go right so late in the season. The other three teams have embraced the tank, but the Wizards aren’t going into the offseason without strong momentum. Notably, the three teams with the worst record will be tied for the best odds to get the No. 1 overall pick. The Jazz haven’t won any games in March, and the Pelicans have only won two games, but the Wizards are in the process of having their best month all season. There could be a few reasons for the Wizards’ solid play recently.

Reason 1: Easy Schedule

March was destined to be a decent month for the Wizards if they wanted it to be. Throughout the month, they’ve shown that they can beat the lower-end competition and compete in the higher-end games. Going 1-1 against Detroit and beating the Nuggets Saturday night amid a seven-game stretch away is an impressive mark. The team hasn’t just been playing well; at times, they’ve looked like a team competing for a playoff spot. Overall the Wizards have a 5-3 record in March which is a significant improvement from their 15-51 season record. The schedule isn’t a hard one, playing just three more games against over .500 opponents in March. With nine games left in March and five being at home this month, the tank is at risk of being flipped over.

Reason 2: Rookies’ Great Play

The young guys have been playing like they are ready to make a serious jump next season. Bub Carrington has been playing solid, but he’s not made a serious jump like Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George. Carrington has shown an improving playmaker role. His assist numbers in March are above what they have been, at 5.1 through eight games, that’s a nice improvement from his 4.1 season average.

Sarr has been showing everyone that he can be the next Wizards’ elite big man. Sarr has had a great month so far. Averaging 14.9 points with 6.9 rebounds, and 3 assists is a great sign heading into the last month of games. Saturday night, Sarr scored his career-high of 34 points against the Nuggets.

Recently, George broke a franchise record for most threes made by a rookie. George’s play has shown that he could eventually be considered the steal of last year’s draft. He’s averaged 12.4 points a game along with 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists this month. Defensively, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks are two great numbers for any player to have.

While all three of their shooting splits are not great, it’s certainly an area they can work on going into the offseason. Low shooting splits are also natural for most rookies. Looking forward, next season should see considerable improvements in the shooting category.

Reason 3: Older Guys Contributing

When a team is looking to tank, older guys are usually the odd ones out, riding the bench and mentoring the younger guys who are getting ample playing time. However, the Wizards have been taking a different approach as they traded for two veterans at the deadline.

Marcus Smart hasn’t seen the brightest of playing days since his time in Boston. To start the season, Smart was on pace to have one of the worst shooting seasons in his entire career. Flash forward to the present, and his Washington splits are 46.6% from the field and 39.4% from three, which would both be his career best. He’s playing the least amount of time ever since entering the league, with just under 20 minutes a game. Smart, when he is in, is making a strong offensive impact compared to his younger self, which was all about defense.

Khris Middleton has an interesting tag for the remainder of the season. He is currently eligible for the NBA’s Player Participation Policy. Being an All-Star in 2021-22, he’s in his last year of eligibility for this rule. As a result, Middleton must play if he’s healthy. If not, the team would be subject to a fine of $100,000.

The Jazz recently were fined over the sitting of Lauri Markkanen. Middleton is a contributing piece to the turnaround the team has had this season. While his averages aren’t incredible, he’s been solid, averaging 12 points with 4.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds with 1.5 steals a game with the Wizards. Despite taking a back seat on offense, he has been forced to be out on the court, which has indirectly helped lead them to some of these wins recently. Surrounding the Wizards’ young players with quality veterans will benefit their young guys massively.

The Last Word

With the recent success, there is an ultimate price to pay. Flagg coming to Washington could be in jeopardy, however, the Wizards are showing that they could be fine without him. Additionally, with the flattened lottery odds, the Wizards still have a solid chance of landing Flagg or another top-three pick. Between the draft and free agency, the Wizards could be in for a playoff run next season, as long as the young guys keep playing well and the older guys contribute, the momentum will grow. Ultimately, the future is bright in Washington.

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