WASHINGTON — For three years, the Wizards prioritized draft positioning over winning. They called it “the deconstruction phase” of their rebuild.
Others called it “tanking.”
No matter the label, those restrictions on winning dampened the usual excitement entering Wizards training camp from 2023-25. The players never tried to lose, nor did they enter camp expecting to lose 60-plus games, but they felt the burden of front office decisions aimed at securing a top draft pick rather than winning in the immediacy.
Those restrictions are now gone.
The Wizards are free to win as many games as possible. They’re allowed compete for a playoff spot for the first time since 2022. And the players are stoked.
“It feels great [to enter a season with winning expectations]. We’re playing real basketball,” Kyshawn George said. “At the end of the day, nothing changes for me because I’m going out there playing my best, playing to win every single night.”
Bub Carrington has seen the worst of it.
The Wizards’ iron man hasn’t missed a game in his two-year career, which means he played in all of the team’s 129 losses since the start of the 2024-25 season. His .213 winning percentage is tied with Bilal Coulibaly for the fourth-worst in NBA history among players with at least 164 games played.
The 21-year-old guard said the last two seasons weren’t easy. Losing is mentally draining for young players accustomed to winning throughout high school and college.
But brighter days are close. Carrington can sense it. It’s why he spoke through a massive grin after Day 1 of Wizards training camp.
“We can go to sleep with a smile on our faces. Things are sunnier. It feels nice outside,” Carrington said. “We’re competitive. We want to compete. It was hard, but we’re here now.”
Things look different since Carrington’s 129th loss as a Wizard. The team acquired Khris Middleton and Deandre Ayton to bolster its depth. Trae Young re-signed for $212 million. And Anthony Davis will make his Wizards debut on Oct. 21.
The Wizards have experienced the depths of NBA purgatory. They understand the strain losing takes on a locker room.
But this season is different. There’s a collective buy-in to get better each day, to compete at the highest level. Carrington believes that confidence will lead to more wins this season.
“Everyone here does a good job of putting things into perspective. This is what it was [then], but now we’re trying to go. Everyone is locked into that plan,” Carrington said. “... We know we’re gonna be nice. We’re walking that walk, we’re talking that talk because we know we’ve got something.”
The first step is preparation. Every Wizards player was in the facility before Labor Day, which Brian Keefe said isn’t standard.
Veterans like Young and Davis organized summer workouts in Los Angeles. Middleton and Ayton add important frontcourt depth and playoff experience to a team that previously lacked in those areas.
The Wizards’ young core is eager to learn. More importantly, they’re eager to win.
They believe those veterans will help them do just that.
“We have champions and All-Stars [who’ve made] deep playoff runs, Eastern Conference Finals runs. We have a lot of people that won a lot of games leading these workouts,” Carrington said. “They know what they’re doing. They know what it takes to win. They know what a winning basketball team is supposed to be doing in the summer to go win a championship in June.”
Thanks for u Article, Mr.Hinderg, glad to see the in depth news dive into wizards behind scenes content. Appreciate u nice piece, can't wait to see those guys build chemistry through concise game.
Best Regards
Peter
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