Down by one to Atlanta, Martell Webster hit a layup as the buzzer sounded. The shot initially counted and the Wizards looked as if they had finally gotten their first win. The referees conferred, reviewed the video, and declared the shot was late. The Wizards fell to a franchise-worst 0-10.
All the high hopes and expectations have been derailed in a single month. The Wizards spent much of the offseason declaring they were no longer a lottery team, that they could compete for a playoff spot. It certainly does not look like that’s going to happen.
The biggest issue the Wizards have faced is health. Both John Wall and Nene, the team’s two most important players, were injured to start the season. It is no secret that the Wizards had hoped to build a team around Wall. When they were suddenly left with nothing more than a supporting cast, struggles were sure to follow.
To start the season 0-10, however, is not just bad, but historically bad. Only 13 teams in NBA history have started 0-10. Don’t worry though, the Wizards have only lost by an average of 7 points, the best of those 13. Congratulations, you are the best, worst team of all time.
As bad as things are, however, it is tough to put the blame on anyone on the court or on head coach Randy Wittman. The players do look like they are legitimately trying out there. Wittman is doing absolutely everything he can think of to right the ship. While his news conferences and roster moves sometimes appear utterly desperate, it is hard to blame him for trying to get creative with a bad roster.
Do you think the Clippers would struggle without Blake Griffin and Chris Paul? How about the Heat if they played without Lebron James and Dwayne Wade? Of course no amount of injuries can justify perpetually losing in the NBA, but in my mind it does shift the blame from Wittman and the team to the front office.
The real mistake the Wizards made was building a team around a center whose health was a legitimate concern and a still unproven star point guard. Nene has played ten seasons in the NBA and injuries have shortened his season to less than 70 games in five of those seasons. He played a total of 39 games last year.
John Wall has not played more than 70 games in either season of his still short NBA career. The concern with Wall, however, is not injury, but whether or not he will become the superstar talent the Wizards hoped he would be when they drafted him number one overall pick in the draft.
Wall is a very good point guard and his future looks bright, but he is not the cornerstone talent that franchises can build around. The Wizards need to change their approach from bringing in supporting talent to bringing in star talent. Granted that is easier said than done in today’s NBA where stars tend to follow stars, but let’s get realistic here. Wall is not an elite talent capable of taking the Wizards to the next level by himself.
Nene was a good, albeit fragile, addition. His presence addressed a real need for defense and leadership, but his health makes him difficult to rely on. Bringing in Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor is not the answer and not just because of their early season struggles. Both players are nice additions, but there was a reason they were traded. New Orleans needed to get out from under their bad contracts. “Bad contracts” are only bad when players are getting paid a lot more than they are worth. Kobe Bryant makes a lot of money too, but the Lakers aren’t trying to trade him.
The Wizards would be a lot better with a healthy Wall and Nene in their lineup, but that does not justify an 0-10 start. What this has shown is just how bad the “supporting cast” really is. When Cleveland lost Lebron to the infamous “decision”, they did not start 0-10 the following season. It is time to get back to the drawing board for Ernie Grunfeld and the Wizards.
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