The day has finally come where the Washington Wizards have decided to embrace a rebuild. The only issue is, they waited slightly too long and are in a difficult spot once again.
Despite some of the best draft classes we have seen in years coming the past few off seasons, they still decided to try winning with a poor roster. Now with a seemingly weak draft class approaching, they decide to tear it apart. Classic Wizards.
One of the keys to reconstructing their rosters will be to avoid making the common mistakes we see teams make all the time. While they can be difficult to avoid, the secret always has been and always will be patience in the front office.
Number 1: the Wizards can’t trade away young talent that disappoints early on
We have all seen young players start off slow, frustrate the team, and go on to do amazing things right when they end up in a different situation. Khris Middleton with the Detroit Pistons, Zach LaVine with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and pretty much every player drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers are all great current examples of this.
The Washington Wizards will need to stay patient with young talent and set them up to succeed. If a draft pick doesn’t pan out right away, they should refrain from giving up on them until at least after their rookie contract is expired before moving on.
This is unfortunately all too common for teams looking to make a push for the playoffs. This is a mistake that more often than not ends in a low return for a good player.