In early April, the Washington Wizards were 17-32 and seemingly headed for a highly disappointing 2020-21 season. From that point forward, Washington posted a 17-6 record, getting red-hot at the perfect time, and the Wizards earned a trip to the play-in before losing to the Indiana Pacers. Since that time, however, the Wizards have overhauled their roster with Russell Westbrook heading to Los Angeles, and the 2021-22 season will be intriguing as a result, particularly with All-Star guard Bradley Beal returning and Spencer Dinwiddie joining the party in the nation’s capital.
Roster:
Deni Avdija
Bradley Beal
Davis Bertans
Thomas Bryant
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Spencer Dinwiddie
Daniel Gafford
Anthony Gill
Rui Hachimura
Montrezl Harrell
Aaron Holiday
Corey Kispert
Kyle Kuzma
Raul Neto
Isaiah Todd
Cassius Winston
Projected Vegas Win Total: 33.5 wins
Biggest Addition: Spencer Dinwiddie
Dinwiddie played in only three games for the Brooklyn Nets last season before suffering a long-term knee injury. All signs point to a strong recovery, though, and Dinwiddie is only one season removed from averaging 20.6 points and 6.8 assists per game for the 2019-20 Nets. In some ways, he will be called on to “replace” Russell Westbrook (see below!), but Dinwiddie also projects as a strong complement to Bradley Beal and a player that can create for himself and others. Health will be something to monitor, but Dinwiddie is perhaps an undervalued player when he’s operating at 100 percent capacity.
Biggest Loss: Russell Westbrook
Westbrook is now a member of the Lakers, and he had a bit of a strange journey last season. Though he still nearly averaged a triple-double, the former MVP scuffled to a 48 percent true shooting mark before the All-Star break, and Westbrook badly hurt the Wizards on both ends at times. Then, he found his stride, averaging 23.6 points, 13.1 assists, and 12.8 rebounds per game after the break, upping his efficiency to a reasonable range and carrying Washington at times down the stretch. There is a never-ending debate on Westbrook’s value at this point, but his every-night production will be missed.
Biggest Question: What happens in the frontcourt?
Washington’s backcourt is set, at least aside from injury concerns, with Beal and Dinwiddie. Up front, things are a lot less certain. The Wizards have used lottery picks on both Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija, with both fitting into combo forward roles. 2021 first round pick Corey Kispert is a sweet-shooting wing. Kyle Kuzma headlines the package that arrived for Westbrook, and the Wizards invested a gigantic five-year deal in Davis Bertans. Then, at center, Daniel Gafford is a budding standout, but Washington also has Montrezl Harrell and Thomas Bryant, the latter of which should return from injury after acting as the starter previously. There is talent here, but there is a lot of uncertainty and jockeying to be done.
What Makes This Season A Success
The Wizards seemingly always operate with an eye toward making the postseason. That, of course, is a reasonable goal for a team that made the play-in last season, but Washington’s long-term outlook is a bit muddier. At any rate, Washington’s internal expectations are almost certainly focused on playing postseason basketball, with Beal as a centerpiece and a roster that has intrigue at every position.
What Makes This Season A Failure
Falling way out of the postseason mix could be a blessing in disguise if Washington has some lottery luck. Aside from an extreme outcome, though, it would be rough for the Wizards to flounder, particularly as Beal has a contractual decision to make. Washington can’t afford to be too far off the radar if they want Beal to stick it out, and the team doesn’t haven’t a sure-fire blue-chip roster piece beyond him.
