There was a general consensus before the start of the regular season that the Washington Wizards were going to be bad. So, a 2-10 start with the second-worst defense in the league shouldn’t be that disappointing. However, the way some of those ten losses came about has been a major disappointment for many Wizards fans. Getting blown out by halftime, losing double-digit leads in the fourth quarter, and generally playing an uninspiring brand of basketball have made this a deflating first month of the season for Washington.
To have the third-worst point differential in the league, a lot has to go wrong, especially if your team has been relatively healthy. If you are as bad of a team as the Wizards have been through the first 12 games, it’s not fair to single out any one individual as the reason for this performance. You win and lose as a team, and the Wizards have not done a good job cumulatively so far.
Yet, the Wizards fans expected a more competitive and inspiring team. Yes, the overall talent level on this team is low. Yes, there aren’t too many high-level experienced players on the roster. Yes, this is a transitional, developmental season. However, that doesn’t justify some of the awful performances, especially on the defensive end, that the Wizards have displayed this season.
Even in an underwhelming season like this one, there are individual performances that have been more underwhelming than the others. There are a few Wizards who have been disappointing compared to the preseason expectations of them. Considering that this season is about seeing what this team has, these individual performances could shed some light on who will be a part of the long-term core of the Washington Wizards.