The Washington Wizards haven't been quiet when it comes to their rebuilding strategy over the course of the last couple years.
Outside of stacking as much young talent and draft capital as possible, Washington has made it a point of emphasis to surround their core with a handful of experienced veterans that can not only show the team's young core how to approach the game on and off the court, but simply how to be a professional.
Through the abundance of veteran additions the Wizards have tried, names like Jonas Valanciunas, Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart, Khris Middleton and now CJ McCollum have come to mind.
Washington hasn't seen the most success come from their strategy up to this point looking at the team's standings not only last year, but to start the regular season once again in 2025.
Up to this point, the current veterans on the roster have yet to help guide the Wizards towards finding a winning formula, which is what sparked a challenge from head coach Brian Keefe following an embarassing loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
That look in the mirror challenge inspired a players only meeting where veterans got the chance to speak from experience and let the young team know that growing accustomed to losing shouldn't be apart of what the team is trying to build in Washington.
However, the one veteran's who's words may have meant the most is from a vet fans may not have expected to speak up.
Marvin Bagley III let his insight be known
Marvin Bagley III re-signed with the Wizards this offseason as one of the team's main free agency additions of the offseason.
At the time of the signing, the big man's addition didn't seem too important.
Nonetheless, that addition could quietly become far more important than fans anticipated.
In a recent interview with Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports, Marvin Bagley III made it clear exactly why he felt he needed to speak up amid the team's recent struggles throughout the start of the season.
“I was in a tough spot as a young player; 18 years old coming in (and) I didn’t really have the older vets to guide me,”Bagley said.“It kind of felt like I had to figure things out on the run, on the fly, by myself. That’s a hard spot to be in, especially in this league.”
Bagley's words could be the difference in the team's young core understanding exactly what's in front of them and why their effort alone could go a long ways as the regular season continues to unfold.