The Washington Wizards have a lot riding on the development of their young core.
In the midst of a highly anticipated and long overdue rebuild, Washington has been forced to deal with the tough reality that their draft selections over the last few years simply just haven't panned out; at least not while in the DMV.
Deni Avdija used a fresh start with the Portland Trail Blazers to emerge into a star courtesy of the chip on his shoulder added from the Wizards giving up on him.
Corey Kispert looks like at his best he's destined to be a role player with limited 3-and-D abilities.
Meanwhile, Bilal Coulibaly and Bub Carrington are two lottery picks who are showing legitimate concerns about their ability to be a long-term part of the team's future.
Fortunately, two players who have emerged for the Wizards throughout the start of this trying season have been Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George.
And while the sophomore leaps for the team's former first round picks is definitely a promising sign for the future, all eyes are seemingly focused on the development of the team's reigning No. 6 overall pick Tre Johnson.
Johnson was selected by the Wizards with the top pick of their 2025 NBA Draft, and as a result of the team's worst nightmare deeming true in the NBA Draft Lottery when Washington slid completely out of the top five.
After falling out of the top five, the Wizards and their entire fanbase weren't sure exactly how the draft order would fall and who would be on the board when it was the team's turn to pick.
However, after reports surfaced that Ace Bailey's camp was set to attempt to force his way to his preferred landing spot, with the Wizards being rumored as the wing's team of choice, it was evident Washington was locked in on the Rutgers star salvaging their Cooper Flagg miss.
Nonetheless, in typical Danny Ainge fashion, the Utah Jazz poached Bailey leaving the Wizards scrambling to eventually select Johnson.
Don't get me wrong, the Texas standout was widely argued as the most dynamic scorer in the entire draft class and what he's able to do offensively looked like a legit star could be born in Washington.
Entering the season, the hype train was gaining steam and many believed Johnson could make an early bid for Rookie of the Year.
Fast forward to now following the opening month in the NBA regular season, Johnson's struggles to perform at a high-level on a nightly basis have led to some early questions wondering if the team made the right selection.
Should Jeremiah Fears have been the pick? Looking at Carrington's struggles, it's safe to wonder if that would have been the preferred route looking back.
What about Cedric Coward? The suprise lottery pick looks like a future star for the Grizzlies to start the season.
There's still plenty of time for Johnson to turn the narratives around, but early signs suggests the Wizards maybe should have evaluated their options a little harder.