The NBA’s latest rookie rankings dealt the Wizards a tough reminder they didn’t need

The Washington Wizards have struggled to find building blocks over the recent years.

After impatience forced the team to give up on Deni Avdija too soon and the Wizards were dealt the No. 2 overall pick in the weakest draft class in recent memory, Washington's misfortune only carried over into last offseason.

Entering the NBA Draft Lottery tied for the highest chance to earn the No. 1 overall pick, Washington was quickly dealt a tough reminder about just how unfortunate they've been in past years.

Instead of landing the top pick with the chance to land a cornerstone in Cooper Flagg, the Wizards wwre dealt arguably the worst hand possible.

Falling out of the top five as a whole left the Wizards in a situation where not only were they forced to miss out on a generation talent, but they missed out on landing a top three talent in a top heavy draft as a whole.

Beyond that, the icing on the cake came when the team's projected pick of choice, Ace Bailey, was selected one pick ahead of them by the Utah Jazz.

As a result, the Wizards were forced to select Tre Johnson No. 6 overall, who at the time seemed like the best player available for Washington, especially after the team landed the perfect backcourt mentor in CJ McCollum just before the draft.

And while there's still plenty of time for Johnson to prove the Wizards didn't make a mistake, early indications suggests that Washington may be forced to look back on yet another draft pick and wonder if they made a poor decision.

Wizards dealt a harsh reminder about their rookie class

As the regilar season continues, the NBA has consistently released rookie power rankings highlighting the top rookies around the league.

For some, these rankings help indicate that they have an impact player on the rise.

For others, these ranking remind them of how underwhelming their draft class has been to start the season.

Up to this point, the Wizards now find themselves on the wrong end of the rookie ladder.

Johnson has struggled with injuries over the last few weeks, but prior to that, the rookie struggled to string together consistent performances, even when given the opportunity to start.

Obviously, the rookie ladder doesn't mean anything about the long-term development of any player.

However, it is just yet another reminder for the Wizards that their track record with young prospects has been disappointing to say the least.