In a thinned out Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards have emerged as a serious contender, especially after their success last season. The Wizards were just one game away from a Conference Finals berth until they were ousted by the Boston Celtics in 7 games during the second round of the NBA playoffs.
Head coach Scott Brooks did a phenomenal job during his first year at the helm in Washington and we saw major strides from their young core of John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Otto Porter. All 3 took their game to the next level last season, namely Wall who played at an MVP level down the stretch of the campaign.
The trio is just scratching the surface of their potential as a big three and Brooks thinks it’s extra special when a team is able to draft and develop their young core just like the Wizards have. Following from the Wizards via Twitter:
Brooks: "To be able to draft 3 players, develop them and keep them, it says a lot about this franchise."
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) August 4, 2017
Wall, Beal, and Porter are now all under contract for the next few years at least as all three have signed to max deals over the past two summers. Wall and Porter agreed to their deals this offseason while Beal did so last year.
Just like the Warriors have done with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson, the Wizards hope starting from scratch and drafting and developing a core will lead to a bright future. Obviously, Scott Brooks could also be saying this after thinking about the big three situation he had in Oklahoma City that ultimately went up in flames as compared to the longevity he appears to be preparing for in Washington.
With Wall being the oldest of the bunch at only 26 years old, this budding big three can certainly continue to take their game to new heights as they look to keep pace with Boston and Cleveland in the East.
