What Does a Successful Season Look Like for Washington?
What does “success” look like for the Washington Wizards this season? It’s more than just a win total. It’s about a team that has learned from its mistakes over the last two years, playing organized basketball on both ends of the floor, creating a real identity on the court, and changing moments of success into habits. Success is all about the development of the young core, earning their keep in a stacked league where they ranked near the bottom in all statistical categories last season. It’s going to be about playing competitive basketball from October through April. With fewer moral victories and more measurable ones, a franchise that finishes the year with answers about who fits, how they want to play, and what’s worth building on next.
The last two years of Washington basketball have been tough, with both seasons ending under twenty wins, but they haven’t been without silver linings. Even in the middle of a rebuild, the front office has laid the groundwork for a promising future. Drafting three players in the first round last year gave the team an influx of young talent, while Bilal Coulibaly’s steady development has been an encouraging sign. These pieces, along with the growth of the rest of the roster, have given fans real reasons to stay invested. While the losses piled up, the past two years have quietly been about planting seeds for a brighter future.
So, after the small victories of last season, what should “success” look like for Washington as they enter this new campaign? First and foremost, the Wizards need their young core to take clear steps forward. Alex Sarr must improve his shooting efficiency while becoming a more consistent scoring option, Kyshawn George needs to grow into a dependable three-and-D playmaker, and Bub Carrington has to establish himself as the steady floor general of the future. Beyond individual growth, the team must also prove it can stay competitive into the fourth quarter, avoiding the early collapses that defined much of last season. Finally, developing Tre Johnson with consistent minutes and helping him play at a Rookie of the Year caliber level would mark a major achievement in the franchise’s rebuild.
Success this year isn’t about skipping steps—it’s about proving the blueprint works. If the young core levels up, the team competes deep into fourth quarters, and the defense and decision-making trend upward, Washington will have turned potential into progress. Hit those marks and the win total will follow, but more importantly, the franchise will leave the season with clarity about roles, identity, and direction. That’s a successful year: a group that knows who it is, how it wins, and what it’s building toward next.
