A story about a Washington Wizards team that was supposed to be bad

Once upon a time, “experts” predicted the Washington Wizards without John Wall would collapse into turmoil. Turns out that hasn’t happened.

Once, back in 2019, there were several major sites that looked down their noses at a Washington Wizards squad that would be missing their fearless leader, John Wall. “Bradley Beal can’t carry a team! They’re garbage without John Wall! Scott Brooks is an awful coach!” they exclaimed.

The writers of the All-Powerful ESPN decried, “28 wins, max” and even foresaw mass turmoil in DC. Bleacher Report claimed they could be no better than 5th worst in the entire league.

Sports Illustrated placed our beloved Wizards at 28th of 30, and called all the followers of Washington Wizardom foolish should they not try to lose more than win, a perplexing conundrum for a team to be in. The Athletic was similar in their assessment of the DC situation, placing us second worst in the nation.

Nobody believed. But the Washington Wizards faithful paid them no mind, because Washington Wizards fans know how to believe, even when others aren’t kind.

And the Wizards organization, in turn, gave them something to believe in. They rid themselves of the plague that was Ernie Grunfeld and promoted a shining knight in Tommy Sheppard to general manager of their kingdom, ending the cycle that kept the Wizards poor in talent and heavy in the pocket.

In came the young and the hopeful, the hungry and eager to please, to give DC hope once again that there may yet be more to cheer than to boo. Moritz Wagner, Davis Bertans, Admiral Schofield, and Isaac Bonga too.

Even through the Injurious Era, when half a dozen players had fallen. In the face of their replacement leader’s criticisms, they kept ballin.

They battled. And they lost, oh did they lose. Not once, or twice, but thirty-three times. Sometimes so outmatched, many thought “well, the criticisms must be true.”

But then by the end of December, something began to change. The sweat spilled in toil was paid back in buckets. The Miami Heat, the Denver Nuggets, the Boston Celtics our Washington Wizards warriors felled.

Then the Brooklyn Nets and the Dallas Mavericks tasted our might, and suddenly Washington Wizards fans were like “all right.”

Because now, despite being on pace for 30 wins on the season and having the 9th worst record in the league (all better than those writers above had decried), there’s a sprinkling of hope here all over DC.

The Little Team That Could, the underdogs, Davids up against Goliath. Call them what you will, I’ll stick with a term of my own coining: The Wonder Wizards. And these Wiz kids can play.

So when your Washington Wizards warriors take the floor, rest assured that they’ll do battle each and every time. 48 minutes, from tip to the buzzer’s resign. With a 5-2 record over our last seven games, it’s hard to say which victim we’ll next name.

These Washington Wizards are a treat, so get to Capital One Arena and take your seat, because our team, our city, our people can’t be beat. #RepTheDistrict