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Where do the Washington Wizards rank in League Pass rankings?

By Cem Yolbulan

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 12: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers is fouled by Kyle Kuzma #33 of the Washington Wizards during the second half of a game at Wells Fargo Center on March 12, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Wizards 112-93. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 12: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers is fouled by Kyle Kuzma #33 of the Washington Wizards during the second half of a game at Wells Fargo Center on March 12, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Wizards 112-93. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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The Washington Wizards will have only one nationally televised game in the 2023-24 NBA season, tied for the lowest among all teams. This means that fans will have to resort to NBA League Pass once again to regularly watch the Wizards games. But, how watchable will the 2023-24 Washington Wizards be?

There are obviously reasons for the Wizards to be low in the league hierarchy in terms of national and media attention. Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma are the only two players with national pedigree on the team. In fact, Poole was the only player ranked in the Top 125 Players list by the Athletic’s Seth Partnow. Sportsbooks expect the Wizards to be one of the worst teams in the league with an over/under of 24.5 wins. Plus, there aren’t any blue-chip prospects that could blow up this year. Bilal Coulibaly is the highest-ceiling player on the team but he is likely a few years away from being an impactful player.

All these might make the Wiz less attractive on any given weeknight on League Pass. However, this doesn’t mean they won’t be fun or exciting to watch. Plenty of young, non-playoff teams have been thrilling watches over the last few seasons. The Indiana Pacers, the Utah Jazz, and the Oklahoma City Thunder were all high on consensus League Pass rankings last season.

The way for the Wizards to replicate that is by playing an attractive style of basketball. A high tempo with a pace & space style of play goes a long way in attracting viewers. If the Wizards can force turnovers, run out on the floor, and shoot a lot of threes, they will be a fun watch. In fact, the new nickname for Kuzma & Poole – “swaggy buckets”- as coined by Klay Thompson, suggests that there is some intrigue around the league to watch what those two dynamic scorers can do as leaders of a team.

Yet, in a star-studded league, how far does that get you in terms of overall watchability? Not too far.

There are teams like the Toronto Raptors, the Detroit Pistons, or the Charlotte Hornets who will be hard to watch. You could make the argument, however, that all of these teams have higher-level young prospects that are intriguing. Cade Cunningham, Lamelo Ball, and Scottie Barnes might offer more excitement to an objective NBA fan than the current Washington roster.

So, as things currently stand, the Wizards rank near the bottom of the league in terms of League Pass rankings. However, this is not a definite statement. If they can manage to be more competitive than expected behind a fun, fast style of play, the Wizards could easily climb up in watchability rankings. However, regardless of what a casual fan does, we can’t wait to tune in for the 2023-24 Washington Wizards.

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