Since the Cavaliers won their first NBA title back on June 19, NBA teams have undergone a number of changes over the long summer offseason. NBA.com’s Shaun Powell will evaluate the state of each franchise — from the team with the worst regular-season record in 2015-16 to the team with the best regular-season record — during the month of September as we look at 30 Teams in 30 Days. | Complete schedule
Today’s team: Washington Wizards
2015-16 record: 41-41
Who’s gone: Coach Randy Wittman, G Alan Anderson, F Jared Dudley, F/C Nene, G Ramon Sessions, G Garrett Temple
Who’s new: Coach Scott Brooks, C Ian Mahinmi, F Andrew Nicholson, F/CJason Smith (via free agency); G Trey Burke (via trade)
The lowdown: The Wizards’ last losing season was 2012-13 but they’ve been mired in mediocrity since then, averaging 44 wins.
Much like the way they ended last season, the Wizards’ summer was a whimper. They’d traded their first-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Markieff Morris, a 26-year-old forward on a steal of a contract ($7 million per) who also comes with some baggage. They didn’t sign a free agent of note, opting instead to lavish their funds on an extension for Bradley Beal, a talented shooter when healthy. However, Beal played just 55 games last season and 63 the season before.
A year ago, this wasn’t the hope. A year ago, the Wizards believed, with some validation, that this summer would celebrate the greatest moment in franchise history since the 1978 championship. That’s because the Wizards thought they’d be favorites in July to sign Kevin Durant, who grew up in the Maryland suburbs.
And so the Wizards prepared for that well in advance. They refused to extend Beal’s contract before last season. They refused to add a big salary to the roster during the season, keeping the cap space clear. They gave themselves a chance, doing everything except make the playoffs and give KD the impression that he’d be joining a ready-made contender. In the end, Durant didn’t even give them an interview. It was a cold and vicious slap in the face to a franchise that is back on the treadmill, looking for ways to take the next step.
Beal and John Wall form a dangerous backcourt combination, providing a mix of speed, athleticism, shooting and passing. On their good days, Wall and Beal are in the conversation for top-five backcourt in the NBA. The problem is, those “days” have been few, mainly because of Beal and his injury history. The Wizards locked him up financially, but they really didn’t have a choice given there’s no replacement on the roster.
They added backcourt depth by trading for Burke, who disappointed in Utah after being projected as the Jazz’s point guard of the future. In reality, he’s a combo guard who can be streaky (41 percent last season) and doesn’t see the floor very well (2.3 assists in 22 minutes per game).
They replaced Nene with Mahinmi, a younger but more expensive option, and added to the front line by signing Nicholson, a dependable player off the bench.
What the Wizards didn’t do was address their swingman spot. They used their last two No. 1 picks on Otto Porter Jr. and Kelly Oubre Jr. with mixed results. Neither has proven to be a primary scoring option, and the Wizards must either continue to show patience or swing a deal designed to relieve Beal and Wall of the scoring burden.
The only major change is on the bench, where Brooks takes over for Wittman. Brooks was lucky enough to have Durant and Russell Westbrook in OKC, and unlucky enough to watch those two (and others) suffer injuries after coaching OKC to the NBA 2012 Finals. In a perfect world, Brooks would have at least one NBA title and would still be in OKC. In an ironic twist, both he and Durant are gone, and the Wizards wound up with the coach and not the franchise-changing superstar.
And so Washington moves forward with new direction but essentially the same crew. The fate of the Wizards remain in the hands of Wall and to a lesser extent, Beal.
They’ll have chances in the near future to chase free agents and try to fortify the roster while Wall is still in his prime. But their dream was to do that this summer. Their dream, instead, will be realized by Golden State, where Durant evidently will spend the rest of his career.
Coming Next: Dallas Mavericks
To check out the rest of the series schedule, click here.
