I consume NBA media in Costco quantities, often as background noise while I work or perform menial tasks around the house.
Considering my brain is wired to think like an episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, it’s rare that I really stop and devote my unyielding attention to a piece of NBA content, but a video essay I watched on YouTube this morning not only seized my attention but also got my wheels spinning thinking about the Washington Wizards’ rebuild.
The video was titled “THE ANATOMY OF A REBUILD,” and it dove into the context behind the successful rebuild of the recently-minted NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
The video was published by halfpast*noon, a “social media enabled basketball magazine” that publishes NBA content across its Instagram account, YouTube channel, and website. Halfpast*noon’s content is characterized by its snappy writing and stunning presentation highlighted by a distinctive green color palette and selective use of monochromatic coloring.
It’s absolutely clear that the guys running halfpast*noon are in love with the game of basketball, and they’ve even produced some fantastic nostalgic Wizards content to satiate DC’s ever-present John Wall itch.
One quote from “THE ANATOMY OF A REBUILD” made me stop and scribble it down in my notebook: “The picks piled up, the losses blended together, and the world stopped watching.”
It seems unfathomable today that the Thunder, fresh off a championship with MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, could ever have slipped into irrelevance, but the dog days of the early 2020s were a necessary pill to swallow in exchange for the shiny rings on the players’ fingers.
I’m not at all saying that the Wizards’ current streak of sparsely attended sub-20 win seasons indicates they’re the next Thunder in waiting (they certainly don’t have a future MVP on their roster, for one). I’m merely saying the Wizards should look to the Thunder for guidance.
Chris Paul’s 2019-20 season for the Thunder came out of nowhere. He was supposed to be washed up, but he proved to the world that the Point God is immortal while also serving as a mentor for a young SGA. In fact, SGA credits Paul as a massive influence in helping him adapt to life in the NBA, both on and off the court.
"First guy in my life that I was like close with that like achieved the things that I wanted to achieve. It caught me off guard at first but I ask for advice on basketball and life just ask him about everything.”
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) May 23, 2025
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander talking about Chris Paul being his mentor pic.twitter.com/Ksdk8kf67d
I’ve said before that I see the Wizards’ current young core more as a future group of elite role players, akin to Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, and co. on the Indiana Pacers. That being said, the mentorship of a veteran like Paul — even perhaps Paul himself, who is a free agent right now— would go a long way in guiding Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, and Tre Johnson toward their ceilings.
On this front, I think the Wizards would be wise to keep Marcus Smart around as the team’s marquee veteran. Smart has seen it all throughout his career — the NBA Finals, the lottery, clutch shots, and ill-timed bricks that make you shake your head at your TV. He’s north of 30 yet still dives for loose balls and is always ready to squat down and slap the ground on defense.
You should definitely go check out “THE ANATOMY OF A REBUILD.” It’s an engaging piece of content that really makes you believe in what the Wizards are building over here in DC.