Washington Wizards: Grading The Offseason

Overall

The Washington Wizards didn’t really make any splashy moves this summer, and it could very well damage their potential for an Eastern Conference Finals run when all is said and done. The Cleveland Cavaliers still own the East, the revamped Miami Heat look formidable on paper, the Toronto Raptors added DeMarre Carroll and a ton of defense, the Chicago Bulls aren’t going anywhere and the Milwaukee Bucks are on the rise too.

But Washington also did a decent job of improving the wing in the wake of Pierce’s departure, and it’s not like the Wizards did anything wrong in their pursuit of the Truth; they were simply outbid by a better situation somewhere else. Luckily, Washington did a pretty acceptable job of filling that Pierce-sized hole by jamming a couple of oddly shaped pieces in there.

Individually, Otto Porter, Jared Dudley, Alan Anderson and Kelly Oubre could not take Pierce’s place. But together, they stand a chance.

This team didn’t need to add much this summer to remain one of the best teams in the East, and the timing of Pierce’s decision kind of left the Wizards hanging (for example, remember how quickly the Raptors snatched up DeMarre Carroll, a 3-and-D wing who would have been a perfect addition in Washington).

But the Wizards rebounded well and Pierce’s one year in the nation’s capital (hopefully) rubbed off on John Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter — the future of the franchise. But since they’re still so young, the Wizards did enough this summer to keep themselves in contention without making any bad deals to rush an ongoing process.

Grade: B

Next: Miami Heat: Grading The Offseason

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