Rewind just a few years back to 2009, the year the Washington Wizards finished 19-63 and had the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Now, they have finished 5th in the East two years in a row, and are becoming a top free agent destination.
Whether it was drafting Jan Vesely, or Chris Singleton, the draft hasn’t always been a strong suit for the Wizards front office. Nobody wanted to sign with a team that couldn’t get anything right or win any games, so it seemed the rebuilding project in DC was going to take a long time.
Within a four-year span, Washington drafted John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Otto Porter. Then, in the summer of 2014, Paul Pierce decided to come to the nation’s capital to make a run at a title. All of these moves showed the Wizards were on the right track, but still, there was more room for growth.
When The Truth chose to leave Washington in favor of living closer to his home and family in Los Angeles, the Wizards immediately made moves that would make up for the loss. They didn’t sit around and worry about how they were going to miss a key piece next season. They knew it was time to make some noise.
Right away, Washington made a move with the Milwaukee Bucks to bring in Jared Dudley, one of the most highly respected veterans in the league.
Last season with Milwaukee, Dudley averaged 7.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1 steal, and .2 blocks per game. He may not be as skilled or as statistically significant as Pierce was, but he does help fill a huge veteran presence that would have been left void.
Showing urgency proved this organization is no longer going to wait for things to pan out, but they will instead take chances when they come.
Washington then brought in Gary Neal, an amazing sharpshooter who can come off the bench and help the second unit stretch the floor. Along with an NBA championship he won with the Spurs back in 2013, Neal has averaged 10.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists throughout his career.
At points last season, the bench in DC struggled to score points and produce when called upon. Once again, the front office executives went out, helped Randy Wittman get a piece he needed, showing how much more mature they are than a few years ago.
The final piece to the puzzle, for now, was the signing of Alan Anderson, a role player who is going to be a perfect fit in the system. He plays hard from the beginning to the end of the game by driving to the lane, but is also able to knock down three-pointers.
Not only has the front office grown into a group of guys who knows what it will take to bring this team to the next level, but now, players actually want to play for the Wizards. They’re no longer at the bottom of the league like they were for so long. Washington is now a prime destination for all free agents.
When Pierce chose to sign with the Wizards instead of any of the other teams he could have gone to, that was when all of the fans began to see a title. After all of these years, one of the top players of all time chose to sign with a team that hadn’t won a title since 1978. He wanted to play for the Wizards?
That was the moment everybody understood all of the years of suffering and losing and DC were finally coming to an end. This franchise was going to be a legit team for many years to come after they finally got it all right.
This offseason could have never happened a few seasons ago, but so much has changed. The players, attitude, and atmosphere circling around Verizon Center are much more positive. This city is ready for a title.
Yes, there is still a lot more room for improvement if the title drought is going to end anytime soon, but it sure seems closer than ever.
