Wizards have reason to believe after winning NBA draft lottery

Washington Wizards fans haven’t had much to celebrate recently.

Not since Paul Pierce was drilling game-winners in the playoffs. Not since John Wall was doing the Dougie in his first professional game or throwing down his patented left-handed dunk. Not since Bradley Beal was splashing 3-pointers.

Washington hasn’t finished above .500 since 2017-18 and lost 26 of its final 27 games this season to improve its odds of landing a high lottery pick.​

But that despair changed Sunday. Years of irrelevance dissipated after the Wizards won the NBA draft lottery and the right to the No. 1 pick.

“It’s definitely an excitement that comes over you,” general manager Will Dawkins told The Banner in a phone conversation. “Knowing how much it means to the city, how much it means to the area. Baltimore, D.C., DMV, it’s such a basketball-heavy place. We get to add another young player of high caliber to fans that have endured what we’ve asked them to endure the last few years.”

The No. 1 pick can change the trajectory of a franchise. Victor Wembanyama turned a woebegone Spurs franchise sputtering in its post-dynasty era into a team contending for the Western Conference in his third season. Guard Cade Cunningham was the driving force in the Pistons’ improvement into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference after tying the NBA’s all-time record for consecutive losses (28) in his second season.

Having the No. 1 pick imbues a franchise with hope. With optimism. In a loaded draft, the crown jewel is BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, who wowed in his lone collegiate season with his tough shot making and growth as an on-ball playmaker. He possesses all the tools that leave NBA talent evaluators salivating.

If he develops, Dybantsa can be the type of two-way star who leads a team to a deep playoff run.

Getting the No. 1 pick right can set the franchise up for success. Getting it wrong can set it on course for a return to mediocrity. But Dawkins doesn’t feel pressure to get the selection correct.

“[Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger] hired me to do a job, to create a place where we [could build] a team that could be competitive, and not just one or two years but can be competitive for a long time,” Dawkins said. “We want to build some sustainability here, and we have an option at No. 1 in the draft to add a player that we think will continue to improve our organization. So I wouldn’t say [it’s] a lot of pressure. We’re going to go add a really good player that’s going to be in D.C. for a long time and help our group grow.”

Unlike most No. 1 picks, whoever the Wizards select won’t be thrust into a situation where he’s tasked with too much responsibility. Aside from Young and Davis, Dawkins is confident in what he and Winger have done since joining the franchise in 2023. ​

“We were working on building our foundation while we were still doing the deconstruction phase,” Dawkins said. “Our young players showed us that they are ready to be more competitive moving forward, and that’s why Michael and I went out and made the decision to add a Trae Young and add an Anthony Davis.

“When you bring a group together and you have those guys to help support them, that gives a lot of people hope that the plan we laid out is starting to take shape and the train can start moving [from] the station a little.”

Even with the dismal record and countless uncompetitive games, the young Wizards took steps forward.

Forward Kyshawn George improved as an all-around offensive player, averaging 14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists, and showed secondary playmaking ability. Forward Will Riley went on a scoring surge to end the season, averaging 15.6 points after the All-Star break.

Guard Tre Johnson is a burgeoning perimeter scorer, and 2024 No. 2 pick Alex Sarr took tremendous strides as a rim protector and finisher.​

But now the challenge is getting this roster of players on different timelines to coalesce. Turning a team that was jostling for the worst record in the NBA into a playoff team is a steep task.

The 2007-08 Boston Celtics had the biggest single-season turnaround in NBA history, improving from 24 wins to 66, but they added veterans Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to a core group that included franchise pillar Pierce, and role players with defined roles who were ready to contribute to winning.

Dawkins said some players have been in the gym together this offseason.

“That’s the challenge we have ahead of them, ahead of us, which is actually the exciting part,” Dawkins said. “We have a lot of motivated players in our facility, like Anthony Davis is motivated. Trae Young is motivated. All of our young players want to prove themselves. They’re motivated. So we’re off to a really good start, just because of the type of people and leaders that Trae and Anthony Davis are.

“They’re selfless, and they’ve been pouring into our guys even when they’re not playing. The connectivity is real. It’s going to be fun for our coaches to figure out the best way to use everyone.”