Washington Wizards: 3 big questions heading into 2019-20

2. Just how bad will the Wizards be this season?

This may seem like the biggest question heading into the 2019-20 season, but there is one more thing to be covered on the next slide. The Washington Wizards’ success (or lack thereof) is still up in the air.

Last season, the Wizards finished 32-50, which put them 11th in the Eastern Conference and nine games out of the eighth and final playoff spot.

For most of the season, they were within five to eight games of the last playoff spot, which left fans wondering if they could muster a run toward the postseason.

When the trade deadline rolled around and Washington unloaded what seemed like half their roster then fans could exhale and realize their impending doom.

Looking at this offseason and the direction the team has taken, Washington is certainly on the outside of the playoff picture and will likely have to compete in order to not be the worst team in the league.

Even though they had a good offseason, they have to take a step back in order to collect themselves and take two steps forward when John Wall returns at full strength in 2020-21.

So, to answer the question: very bad. The team just does not have enough developed talent to compete against the majority of the league and will likely battle it out with teams like the Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers, both of whom seem worse off than Washington.

They will likely be somewhere in the 25-30 win range. But with an established star in Bradley Beal and veterans around him, they could surprise some teams and end up between 30-35 wins.

A rough first half is likely in order, but they can figure things out and turn it around a late in the season.

Isaiah Thomas, Ish Smith, C.J. Miles, Davis Bertans and the most hated Wizard Ian Mahinmi could all be contributing vets. Young players like Rui Hachimura, Troy Brown and Thomas Bryant will have important development curves this season.

If everything came together, the Wizards could be a team that falls just short of the playoffs, but that is probably the upper echelon of the team’s success.

There are a lot of things for fans to watch because the Wizards secured building blocks for the future: Beal’s aspiration to become an All-NBA player, the development of young players Brown, Hachimura and Bryant and the impact and long-term potential of veteran acquisitions Thomas, Miles and Smith.