About two weeks in the past “a buddy” of mine from the 202 ran into ESPN’s Zach Lowe at a bar exterior his Harlem condo. Inevitably, “my buddy” ruined the temper by bearing on the Washington Wizards, compelling Lowe to stoop over. To say it was a vibe killer is an understatement. I’ll neither affirm nor deny that I’m the nameless Wizards stan, however that’s irrelevant.

But when that’s what the mere point out of the Washington Wizards can do to a basketball junkie, simply think about how damaging it’s for the psyche of a complete era of the town’s inhabitants. It’s sufficient to fracture even essentially the most secure psyche. This offseason the Wizards jettisoned the final vestiges of the Ernie Grunfeld govt tree by firing his former deputy, Tommy Sheppard.

The Wizards are bottoming out. Washington is dangerous this season. They’re enjoying at a breakneck tempo with essentially the most immature roster since Javaris Crittenton and Gilbert Arenas’ locker room excessive -oon showdown. Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma are firing at will, placing dents within the rim and enjoying sloppier protection. With one eye skilled on Washington’s ghastly lineup, the eyes of one of many league’s most hopeless franchises is targeted on the decrease rungs of basketball.

Sadly, Washington is tanking for the unsuitable draft. In contrast to 2023’s version, the 2024 NBA Draft is devoid of a generational expertise on the prime. Shepherd might have traded Beal earlier than the 2022 commerce deadline, however selected to take a position a long-term contract in Beal, then waited till he and Kristaps Porzingis had helped them win simply sufficient video games to finish up within the mushy center between lacking the play-in AND prevented placing themselves in place to to win the draft lottery. Every week after the draft, his successor traded Beal to Phoenix for belongings which they flipped into Poole.

Three developments this week forged a good longer shadow over the Wizards longer than the Victor Wembanyama’s. One was the aforementioned Wembnayama scoring 38 on Phoenix, the opposite was Washington getting run off the ground by the Philadelphia 76ers. The 146-128 loss dropped the Wizards to 1-5, with their lone loss coming towards the winless Memphis Grizzlies.

The very last thing was ESPN’s chief draft analyst,Jonathan Govony dropping his prime 25 rating of 2024 prospects. Any one of many prime 10 prospects might wind up being the most effective participant within the class. Nonetheless, that’s the very last thing you need to hear in case your’re a franchise with a cataclysmic draft historical past during the last decade.

Right here’s a sampling of the clunkers Washington has drafted within the final decade:

Regardless of drafting within the lottery on a number of events, Washington’s prime picks in that interval embody Tomáš Satoranský, Otto Porter, Kelly Oubre, Troy Brown Jr., Rui Hachimura, Deni Avidija, Corey Kispert, Johnny Davis and Bilal Coulibaly. Except for Coulibaly, who is simply six video games into his skilled profession, the earlier regime’s monitor document skips like broken vinyl. Shepherd’s final lottery decide, Johnny Davis, resembles a two-way contract benchwarmer. The specter of drafting a stinker one yr after opting out of the sweepstakes for the most effective two-way prospect in 40 years may be very actual.

The great thing about preseason rankings is that they’ve the potential to alter. Previous to the 2018-19 faculty basketball season, no one might have seen Ja Morant coming. Washington is in want of an analogous draft riser who can separate themselves from the pack.

Givony’s prime prospect, Ron Holland, isn’t even enjoying faculty basketball this season. As an alternative, he’ll be suiting up for the G League Ignite alongside Matas Buzelis. And as we’re studying from Scott Henderson’s tough begin, assessing NBA readiness towards G League competitors is a dangerous endeavor. USC level guard Isaiah Collier could possibly be the primary level guard taken, however he doesn’t even have the most effective title recognition of anybody on their roster. That will be Bronny James, who’s extra notable for his dad’s contributions to basketball than his personal sport.

Kentucky ought to area one among its most enjoyable one-and-done rosters in a decade. Ahead Justin Edwards, heart Aaron Bradshaw, DJ Wagner and Rob Dillingham are all prime 25 blue chippers. Edwards initiatives because the superior prospect, however he’ll be 20 in December and will additionally wind up smacking up towards his ceiling because the second-coming of RJ Barrett.

Purdue’s Zach Edey is the top-returning participant, however he’ll even be a 7-4, 22-year-old stiff subsequent yr, who initiatives as a second-round decide. The Participant of the Yr shortlist incorporates a bevy of John Doe’s, whereas FAMU is extra of school basketball’s inspirational Ted Lasso spinoff than an incubator for higher echelon particular person expertise. Alex Sarr could possibly be the highest large man in 2024, however he’s enjoying off-Broadway for Perth within the Australian NBL. I

t can be a disgrace to spend a yr watching Poole lob backboard alley-oops in transition throughout double-digit losses just for the Wizards to whiff once more. This franchise and its fanbase have skilled sufficient trauma.

Observe DJ Dunson on X: @cerebralsportex