The Washington Wizards season has been focused on the development of their young prospects, which in turn reflects the team's horrendous record that places them at the bottom of the NBA standings.
Still, as trying as this season may have been for the team's fanbase, the opportunity to see growth from the players on the roster has been extremely encouraging.
From Alex Sarr's rise, Kyshawn George's leap and the flashes shown from players like Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly and even first-year man Will Riley, the Wizards have proven to have one of the most excited foundations in the league.
Arguably the most impressive development of the Wizards frustrating season has been the rookie campaign from reigning No. 6 overall pick Tre Johnson.
Johnson has proven on multiple occassions that he's ready to impact winning almost immediately, especially considering his extremely high ceiling as an offensive scorer.
That alone is the exact reason why the team has resorted to find a strange way to use Johnson as a key to their tanking efforts.
Wizards have stopped playing Tre Johnson in crunch time
As mentioned above, Johnson's offensive skillset has made him an extremely useful weapon for the Wizards this season.
The rookie can knock down a shot from anywhere on the court, and his ability to apply pressure on opposing teams has offered opportunities for his teammates to thrive.
Those skillsets Johnson brings to the table impacts winning in a major way, which is why the team felt confident in making a pair of bold swings ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
Still, winning isn't exactly on the team's radar, at least not this season.
With Washington in prime position to land a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Wizards have an opportunity to add a top prospect to an already loaded young roster to put the cherry on top of this extended rebuilding period.
As a result, Washington has began to close games with Johnson on the bench in both fourth quarters and crunch time.
Obviously, you may be wondering how that impacts their tank, but the reality of the situation is Washington can't keep Johnson in close games if they hope to put together their dream offseason.
Johnson's scoring makes it hard to lose
Johnson is an elite scoring threat, and in tight game situations, Washington can't risk the standout guard being on the court.
Development is essential for this season, but the Texas product has proven he's ready to impact winning, which is why all eyes are on next season when Trae Young and Anthony Davis return to full health.
For now though, Washington will likely continue to limit the playmaker's fourth quarter minutes, especially as the regular season approaches an end and the sweepstakes for the No. 1 overall pick continue to heat up.