Wiz of Awes
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Washington Wizards and the Fans Are at a Crossroads

By Osman Baig

Apr 26, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat (L) celebrates with Wizards owner Ted Leonsis (R) celebrate on the bench in the final seconds of the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 125-94, and won the series 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 26, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat (L) celebrates with Wizards owner Ted Leonsis (R) celebrate on the bench in the final seconds of the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 125-94, and won the series 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Washington Wizards have been a losing franchise for a very long time and now they’re at a crossroads with their fan base

The Washington Wizards and their fan base are in a catch-22.

The fans have grown apathetic, waiting decades for a real contender capable of not only making the playoffs, but being a legitimate threat for the championship.

In the meantime, blame has befallen the fans for the Wizards’ inability to land a prime free agent, for their failures to defend home court, and for the environment at the Verizon Center.

I’ve written on several occasions that any blame placed on the fans is misplaced and the team’s history over the past 37 years hasn’t warranted the support it’s been argued the team deserves.

The Washington Bullets/Wizards have a 42 percent winning percentage since the 1979-80 season.

They have not made a Conference Final, let alone won 50 games, since the 1978-79 season.

Ernie Grunfeld, the architect of the Washington Wizards has been in charge of the roster make-up for 13 seasons now and has a record of 444-606 record.

Eras of historic NBA basketball have come and gone with the Washington Bullets/Wizards being nothing more than a footnote.

The Wizards have rarely played on national TV, lack a true rival (unless you call the one-sided match up against Cleveland a rivalry), and haven’t even being able to do something as simple as open the season at home (they’ve opened at home in two of the past 16 seasons).

Given that track record, how can Wizards fans not be skeptical?

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The counter-argument is the Wizards have advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in two of the last three seasons, seemingly on the verge of a Conference Finals berth prior to John Wall’s injury in the 2015 NBA playoffs.

It can also be argued that this team shouldn’t pay for the sins of team’s past; that this team has performed as well, if not better than any other local team in terms of postseason play in recent history and should be recognized accordingly.

Lastly, it can be argued that in the pursuit of free agents, what transpired over the 1980’s and 90’s is irrelevant and if the current atmosphere surrounding the team were more positive, it would similarly have a positive impact on their ability to be a free agent destination.

The counter to the counter argument is that this type of success, while better than being in the lottery, is not what this fan base is craving.

This fan base has seen the Chris Webber/Juwan Howard team make an impression in their first taste of playoff basketball against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

They’ve also seen the Gilbert Arenas/Antawn Jamison led Washington Wizards reach the playoffs four consecutive seasons, included a second round appearance in the 2005 season.

Each version of Bullets/Wizards basketball failed to take the next step, and as such, the current version of the Washington Wizards was met with understandable skepticism.

Why should people think this team would succeed where the other teams had failed, especially in a conference owned by LeBron James?

While the playoffs were enjoyable, the ultimate goal was to just get to the Miami Heat or Cleveland Cavaliers because there was no beating James.

But after failing to reach the Conference Finals in 2014 and ’15, this team took a step – a bad step in the wrong direction, falling all the way from Conference Semifinalist to the 10th seed and out of the playoffs.

All of the skepticism surrounding yet another nucleus of Wizards was validated.

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There was still light at the end of the tunnel, though.

The fans who waited patiently for the much ballyhooed Summer of ’16 were intrigued by the possibilities.

The result, however, was underwhelming at best with Washington failing to land a meeting with Kevin Durant, who they’ve been pursuing for years.

Their pursuit of Al Horford came up just short, according to reports.

Ultimately, Ian Mahinmi became the prize of the summer.

The counter to all of these arguments is that this team has acquired depth this summer – a mix of young players and veterans, and that a deeper team led by a coach with a proven track record for success and player development should be given a chance.

Before you think it, yes, I’m talking in circles and that’s the problem this franchise and their fan base is facing.

The team and this fan base are at a crossroads.

Regardless of where you want to point the finger or how you divvy up the blame pie, a problem exists and that problem does not get solved by blaming the organization for their failures nor does it get solved by trying to convince a fan base to blindly follow the lead of a team that just hasn’t earned it.

There’s only one answer to this problem: winning.

Whether it is the star route or the depth route they went this summer, the answer is simply this team MUST win or nothing will change.

Without winning, the same cycle will continue; the cycle that sees players upset with fans for cheering louder in a Chik Fil-A promotion than they do during the game and sees the fans upset that this team cannot win at home, consistently win, or build on the prior year’s success.

Winning 40 some odd games isn’t enough either; after 37 years of sub 50-win basketball, this fan base and franchise is in dire need of a real winner.

After seeing a potential contender washed away with the terrible Webber trade to Sacramento and then seeing another window close when Gerald Wallace crashed into Gilbert Arenas’ knee, the Washington Wizards need to finally break through and get over the proverbial hump.

If and when the team does make this leap, the fans have a responsibility as well; a responsibility to embrace the team and create a home court advantage at the Verizon Center.

Next: Wizards Made Two Free Agency Errors

Whether it is through luck or skill, all parties involved need this to happen desperately, otherwise the catch-22 the Washington Wizards and their fan base find themselves in will continue. For all of us, let’s hope it doesn’t take four decades.

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