At some point, the Washington Wizards will emerge from their rebuilding process, something that fans of the team believe has been going on ever since they made it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2017. To say the last few seasons have been bleak for the Wizards would be an understatement, as Washington has consistently been near the bottom of the league standings. The 15 wins this team won last year were the fewest in the 64 years Washington has been a franchise in the NBA.
The good news for the Wizards is that Will Dawkins, who was appointed as the team's new general manager prior to the 2023-24 season, has a long-term vision for how his team can once again find success. Nothing happens overnight, and Dawkins understands that, especially after spending years working with Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Presti, who many regard as the best executive in the NBA, has made a name for himself by operating with patience and sticking to his philosophies through a rebuilding process. That is one of the reasons why the Thunder have gone from being near the bottom of the totem pole to claiming the 1-seed in the Western Conference last season. Now, Oklahoma City is a title favorite ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Dawkins is implementing a similar philosophy during the Wizards rebuild, and he recently told reporters ahead of the start of training camp that the organization is still very early in the process of setting themselves up for future success. On Thursday, Dawkins said that the Wizards are still in the “deconstruction phase” of their rebuild and that there are four phases in total: deconstruction, laying the foundation, building it up, and then fortifying what the team has built, according to Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network.
While this may not be exactly what Wizards fans want to hear after a 15-win season, this is the harsh reality of the NBA and the position Washington finds themselves in. After John Wall left and the team traded Bradley Beal, Dawkins inherited a team with no sense of direction. Finally, things are beginning to change, as Brian Keefe was hired as the full-time head coach after stepping up as the interim coach last season, and the organization is very high on young talents like Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr.
In order to find future success, an organization must build things from the ground up. That is what Dawkins is doing with the Wizards, and that is why he is high on the future of his team.
“Celebrate the growing pains… You will see glimpses of the future,” Dawkins told reporters. “When you see those glimpses, take stock of that and note of that and know there's more to come.”
As the Wizards continue their rebuild, they will do so with proven champions leading their roster. Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole both understand what it takes to make a deep postseason run from their previous stops, and the best part about both players is that they are still young. Poole is only 25 years old, and Kuzma is 29. Despite rumors suggesting that Kuzma could be on the trade block, the Wizards remain committed to the forward being an instrumental part of their roster as they develop a young core of the future.
Dawkins has a clear vision for how he wants to navigate through the Wizards' rebuild, and so far, everything is going according to plan. While there may be struggles and pains of losing, Dawkins and the entirety of this organization's leadership believe in the plan that has been put together.
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