5 Reasons The Wizards Are The NBA’s Model Rebuilding Franchise

With the NBA offseason already a reality for half the league, the Washington Wizards will be wrapping up their rebuilding process. After watching their franchise go through some serious tough times, the front office came to the conclusion to abort everything and completely remold the roster. The franchise shipped out its three All-Stars – Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas – and went head-first into rebuilding mode. The key factor in rebuilding is giving your fans something to look forward to. And with the No. 1 pick in last year’s NBA Draft, they gave Washingtonians just that by acquiring rookie sensation John Wall.

Now after shifting several pieces to the puzzle, the Wizards are finally looking forward to competing for relevance in the Eastern Conference very soon. Executing the rebuilding process to perfection is not always easy, but the Wizards have done it just about as close to perfect as they could have. Here are five reasons the Wiz-Kids have a bright future ahead of them.

1. John Wall is the future
Coming into this season, a lot of people thought John Wall had a legitimate chance to take home Rookie of the Year honors. Although he didn’t finish the season with any hardware, he still proved that he’s on track to become one of the league’s elite point guards. Everyone somehow thinks Wall underachieved expectations, but that assumption is only a result of Blake Griffin overachieving his. If it hadn’t been for Griffin’s astonishing rookie season, Wall may have been the runaway favorite for ROY. If you look at the numbers, Wall posted 16 points and eight assist a game, which are the same exact numbers that made Chris Paul the clearcut ROY in ’05-’06. Derrick Rose averaged 16 and six in his rookie campaign, and after three seasons, ended up as the MVP. If you ask me, Wall did just fine living up to the hype. If he get’s on that D-Rose offseason workout plan, he may be taking home the MVP trophy sooner than people expect. If Rose can do it, why can’t Wall? The good fortune of a franchise starts at the point guard position, and with John Wall running the show, the Wizards have a bright future.

2. Nick Young is the real Most Improved Player of the Year
After the Arenas trade, opportunity struck for shooting guard Nick Young, and he took full advantage. Seeing an increase on his time on the floor from 20 to 31 minutes a game, Young became a focal point of the Wizards’ offense. Early in the season, before his injury, many argued that he was on track for Most Improved Player of the Year. This season, Young really found his comfort zone in the starting shooting guard position for the Wizards, and solidified his role as one of the team’s go-to players. Scoring 20-plus on a regular basis – and even posting a career-high 43 on Sacramento in January – Young caught many people by surprise. With a career three-point percentage of 38 percent, Young provides the Wizards with substantial outside shooting ability alongside teammate Rashard Lewis. He’s proved he’s not scared to go toe-to-toe with the best of ’em, scoring a whopping 38 on 12-of-19 shooting in one game against Miami this season. Expect to see Young average 20-plus next year if he’s healthy, considering that he’s earned the green light from the coaching staff this season.

3. JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche are as solid as a rock
The Wizards’ starting frontcourt is about as stable as they get. First you’ve got your prototypical scoring power forward in Andray Blatche. At 6-11, he’s tall enough to matchup with just about any other player at his position. He possesses the post moves and offensive ability you can rely on for points in the paint. If he gets any better down there, he’ll be approaching the level of dominance that would make the Wizards’ inside-out game almost unguardable. They have the shooters on the perimeter to keep the defense honest, so Blatche is going to be able to go one-on-one all day long. At the center position, JaVale McGee is one of the most athletic centers in the game. With loads of potential, McGee is going to turn out to be a force at the five-spot. He’s already gained experience playing alongside the NBA’s best last summer, and recently has been earning himself a little bit more respect throughout the League. His athleticism at the center position is unmatched. He’s unbelievably quick for a seven-footer, and his length complements his athleticism in such a way that allows him to make highlight blocks a regular thing. If he bulks up a little, he’ll be able to become an elite defender. The best part about these two is that they’re both relatively young and only going to get better.

4. Jordan Crawford is waiting to breakout
If you wanna talk about players flying under the radar, Jordan Crawford might be the cream of the crop. After stealing him from the Hawks, Crawford became the Wizards’ silent killer. It’s safe to say nobody expected Crawford to be this good this quick – not even Atlanta. Getting Crawford for Kirk Hinrich may turn out to really help the Wizards in the long run. Sure Hinrich provided a solid defensive contribution on the perimeter, however, he didn’t fit in with the Wizards’ style of play. Frankly, with Wall and Young, there wasn’t any more room for Hinrich on the Wizards. What they got in exchange for him was a great backup two guard with potential to be even more. Crawford is a perfect reserve at the shooting guard position because he’s 6-4, can play defense and when you take your starter out of the game, you don’t lose any of that scoring firepower that he provides. Crawford possesses one of the more complete games amongst his rookie counterparts. In flashes of his potential this season, he put up several 20-point outings, including a 39-point performance against Miami in March. Don’t be surprised to see him in the running for Sixth Man or Most Improved Player of the Year sooner than later.

5. The NBA Draft brings even more possibilities
The best part about a losing season is the opportunity to earn picks in the next draft. After picking up the No. 1 pick last year, the Wizards hope to have good fortune again when the Lottery comes around in May. Currently, NBADraft.net has the Wizards with picks No. 4, No. 18, and No. 34. Now of course two of those picks aren’t set in stone just yet, but given the estimations, the Wizards have a chance at landing some very good prospects. With these picks, Washington has the option to negotiate trades or get some new talent. You can expect them to get a lot better defensively, maybe acquiring a small forward like a Kawhi Leonard or Chris Singleton to do the dirty work. Also, they may look to acquire a backup point guard like a Shelvin Mack, Nolan Smith or Josh Selby to keep up the tempo when Wall takes his breaks. Regardless of what they chose to do with their picks, expect them to become a lot deeper on the bench.

The Wizards may not have put together a great season this year, however I’m sure they aren’t mad about where they stand as of now. Becoming one of the NBA’s model rebuilding franchises, the front office is making the right moves to turn over a new leaf. The Wizards have more than enough to be happy about with their recent franchise moves, and hopefully next next that will translate to more wins. If they continue to put firepower around Wall, and hold on to the pieces they already have, the Wizards may be taking the franchise to new heights.

What do you think?

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