Following a team like the Washington Wizards, who recently wrapped up an eyesore of a season with an 18-64 record, can be tough sometimes — especially in the offseason.
The offseason is long and drawn out, and the Wizards are completely irrelevant for almost three months from early April to late June (that is, other than their former players littering every roster in the playoffs).
Allow me to kindle your Wizards hearth and help you endure this long winter of an offseason.
I’ve pored over Basketball Reference and found three facts and statistics that should ignite optimism in any Wizards fan as you take in this year’s playoffs (which have been the best in a while, I should add).
Alex Sarr averaged more blocks per game than Rudy Gobert
Wizards rookie Alex Sarr was a solid pro in his first season, which is a really impressive feat considering he hailed from a much-maligned draft class and rookies typically suck. He managed to crack the top 10 in blocks by swatting 1.5 shots per game.
Sarr blocked more shots per game than Rudy Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year who was named to the All-Defense team this season for his shot blocking ability.
Does that mean Sarr is a better defensive player than Gobert? Of course not (though you’d think so based on the way people talk about Gobert).
Sarr obviously has a lot to learn and improve upon, but his shot-blocking ability gives him a defensive floor that will at least keep him in starting lineups for years to come.
The Wizards were the youngest team in the NBA this season
As a college graduate as of a couple weeks ago, I know better than anyone how effective youth is as an excuse for ineptitude — I use it every day, in fact!
The Wizards were the youngest team in the NBA by a couple of months, and the average age of a Wizards player this season was 23.5 years old.
That’s even with six players on the team — Marcus Smart, Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, Jonas Valanciunas, Anthony Gill, and Richaun Holmes — being 30 or older.
Sure, the average age of an Oklahoma City Thunder player who will almost certainly be hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy in a couple weeks is only about a year older than the average Wizard… but still, no team in the NBA was younger than the Wizards this season!
None of the oldheads are under contract past next season
Take a look at the Wizards’ salary chart over the next few seasons. Middleton has a player option next season for $34 million (a number far exceeding what he would earn on the open market), and the remainder of the veterans are on expiring contracts.
Perhaps someone out there gets desperate and takes a flier on Smart on an expiring contract. Either way, the Wizards’ books are pretty clear beyond the 2025-26 season, so they’ll be able to sign some actual veteran free agent help after another year of development.