1 Question Every NBA Team Must Answer ASAP
Believe it or not, we're two-thirds of the way through the 2024-25 NBA season.
At this stage of the game, with the trade deadline and All-Star Game in the rear-view, teams would prefer to have already answered most of their pressing questions. But we know many are still scrambling for solutions.
Whether angling for a top playoff seed, pivoting into tank mode or just trying to figure out how to position young players to succeed, much remains unsettled.
Here, we'll highlight an issue every team needs to address in what remains of the regular season. These are situations that need resolutions sooner than later.
Atlanta Hawks: Does Caris LeVert Fit?
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De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanović are gone. Jalen Johnson and Kobe Bufkin are both out for the season. Those losses highlighted a dearth of playmaking and ball-handling behind Trae Young that could have justified the Caris LeVert acquisition.
Then again, the Hawks notably offloaded Hunter in the midst of a career season and moved on from Bogdanović, a fifth-place finisher in 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year voting. That series of tax-ducking moves suggested LeVert was actually prized because his contract is expiring.
The Hawks should have long-term interest in re-signing LeVert, but their habitual cheapness weighs heavily here. That probably means the 30-year-old guard will have to show out in a big way to impress a penny-pinching Atlanta front office.
LeVert hit a career-best 40.3 percent from deep in Cleveland while averaging 5.4 assists per 36 minutes. Will the Hawks consider spending what it takes to keep him if he replicates those stats, or will we be disappointed to learn his arrival was all about saving money?
Boston Celtics: What Does Torrey Craig Have Left?
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The Boston Celtics struck quickly on the buyout market, adding 34-year-old journeyman Torrey Craig after dumping Jaden Springer at the deadline to clear a roster spot. Craig was putting up 6.9 points on a stellar 48.9/42.9/75.0 shooting split with the Chicago Bulls but logged just nine games before changing teams.
Though basically a weakness-free operation, Boston could certainly do with another wing-sized contributor behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. That's doubly true now that the Cleveland Cavaliers added De'Andre Hunter in a trade with Atlanta, upsizing their frontcourt while also adding stretch.
The Celtics will probably be fine if Craig is cooked, but they could also find themselves in need of some extra two-way wing play whenever Brown or Tatum is off the floor. These next few weeks will clarify whether Craig can be expected to feature in the postseason rotation.
Brooklyn Nets: Can They Maintain Their Fight?
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The Brooklyn Nets have shown an uncommon level of fight for an undermanned rebuilder whose re-acquisition of 2025 and 2026 first-round picks made clear that losing was the point this season.
Even lately, amid some roster turnover, they've scrapped all the way to the finish of close games. Twenty wins is a low total, but the Nets have managed it while refusing to let go of the rope when other teams in their position would have.
It's hard to be sure any current members of Brooklyn's roster feature in management's long-term plans, but this group is still responsible for setting an organizational culture. Can the Nets keep playing hard and caring as the losses mount?
That's a tough two-step to pull off, but Brooklyn has done it better than most.
Charlotte Hornets: What's the Timeline?
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The Charlotte Hornets traded away a 23-year-old center for a rookie and two distant-future first-round assets, which naturally raised the question of when they intended to start prioritizing the present.
Never mind that the trade was rescinded after Mark Williams failed his physical with the Los Angeles Lakers; Charlotte still at least tried to execute a deal that wouldn't pay off for another half-decade. With LaMelo Ball already on his rookie-scale max contract and multiple lottery seasons in the rear-view, that kind of thinking suggested the Hornets are looking at a protracted rebuild.
If that's true, it might mean Ball is also too far along in his development to make sense in whatever timeline the Hornets are considering, and that second-year wing Brandon Miller is actually the centerpiece in Charlotte. Or, perhaps nobody on the current roster is a long-term building block.
The Hornets have some immediate awkwardness to navigate with Williams, but they're facing even bigger issues that affect everyone on the team—including Ball.
Chicago Bulls: Is Anything Different?
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Zach LaVine is gone, and the Chicago Bulls re-acquired their own 2025 first-round pick from the San Antonio Spurs in the bargain. But several would-be trade-candidate veterans remain on the roster, and a management group whose history suggests "rebuild" is a dirty word is still equivocating on its plans.
"We might get a high draft pick or we might be in the play-in, we might be in the playoffs," vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas told reporters.
This has to be concerning for Bulls fans sick of watching a mediocre team fight to stay in the deeply un-fun middle tier of the league.
Nikola Vučević is still around, as are Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, two players who are bound for unrestricted free agency because their current contracts are too small to realistically extend. Other than rookie Matas Buzelis, it's hard to see a sensible cornerstone in any rebuild here, and the Bulls' wishy-washy stance toward the rest of this season will make it hard to secure another such candidate in the draft.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Is Ty Jerome Ready?
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There are real questions about how effectively new acquisition De'Andre Hunter can handle opposing wings on defense. Though he has the ideal profile for a stopper, Hunter has actually been better against larger matchups.
Evan Mobley is good enough defensively to cover for Hunter, though, and the former Hawk in the midst of a career season will bring enough offensive punch to net out as a positive.
The quiet adjustment to Cleveland's rotation that no one seems to be discussing involves Ty Jerome, who'll be elevated into a more robust ball-handling and playmaking role with Caris LeVert no longer on the team.
Jerome has blown away expectations with a career-best 11.4 points per game on a 51.6/42.7/89.8 shooting split, and his slow-down float game is a sight to behold. Can he handle scaling up from his 19.1 minutes per game, and is he ready to contribute against playoff defenses when either Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland needs a break?
Dallas Mavericks: Can They Regain Fans' Trust?
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The adductor injury that sidelined Anthony Davis wasn't the Dallas Mavericks' fault, but given the star big man's history it was hardly unforeseeable. And with that ill-timed tweak, any real shot at on-court redemption may have disappeared for what may go down as the most reviled trade in NBA history.
Though a long shot, a healthy AD could have propelled the Mavericks to enough wins to quiet the unrest momentarily. Maybe he and Kyrie Irving will still be special enough to make some playoff noise. But for now, Mavs fans have nothing to cling to but rage.
It may already be a lost cause, but Dallas has to find a way to regain a modicum of trust and support in the wake of the Luka Dončić trade. It has to show its fans that there's something here still worth rooting for, even if the front office and ownership are now Public Enemies Nos. 1 and 1A. Fail to do so, and an entire generation of Mavericks loyalists could walk away forever.
Denver Nuggets: Can They Force Some Turnovers?
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The Denver Nuggets rank 20th in defensive efficiency despite allowing an effective field-goal percentage almost perfectly in line with the league average. The problem: They aren't forcing opponents to lose the ball before they can shoot often enough.
At 24th in opponent turnover rate, Denver is one of the least disruptive defenses in the league. That's doubly problematic because the Nuggets are a beast when they get out on the break, ranking fifth in points added per 100 possessions in transition. More turnovers wouldn't just curb opposing scoring; they'd also provide more chances for Denver to do what it does best.
The Nuggets aren't really built to gamble with Nikola Jokič on the back line and Peyton Watson, the best athlete on the team, out of commission since Jan. 31. But any extra mistakes they can force will pay double the dividends.
Detroit Pistons: Who's the Ideal Secondary Playmaker?
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Dennis Schröder was a slick deadline acquisition, a buy-low candidate who cost the Detroit Pistons very little and addressed a massive need. If Schröder performs at levels closer to his tenure in Brooklyn than he did during his disastrous stint with the Golden State Warriors, he might be the best secondary playmaker with whom Cade Cunningham has ever shared the floor.
At the same time, Schröder is a speed-based player in his age-31 season. He's also approaching unrestricted free agency. It'll be nice if he can help the Pistons now, but he can't be viewed as a long-term solution.
Jalen Duren has also been getting increased reps as a facilitating hub of late, and the center's development in that area could provide an alternative fix.
Duren isn't always the most consistent defensive presence, and he may never be a spacer. But he's also young and supremely athletic. If he thrives as Detroit entrusts him with more time on the ball, Duren might lock himself in as a core piece after all.
Golden State Warriors: Can Jimmy Do It Without Steph?
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The Warriors seem to have solved their principal problem by adding Jimmy Butler, who's been lightening the offensive load for Stephen Curry better than anyone since Kevin Durant.
Curry had started a heater prior to Butler's arrival, but his eruptions against the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks in Butler's first two games with the team came as a direct result of opposing defenses having to account for someone else.
Now, the Warriors will need to see if Butler's foul-drawing, isolation game and canny passing can prop up units without Curry.
The samples are much to small to judge right now, and any meaningful minutes the Warriors play in the postseason (assuming they make it) will feature both of their stars. But if Butler can reliably keep Golden State from getting hammered when Curry rests, this team's ceiling gets intriguingly high.
Houston Rockets: Can They Score Late?
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Late-game offense has been a problem for the Houston Rockets all year, and a broader February shooting swoon is only driving their scoring numbers down.
Houston is going to remain competitive on the strength of its defense, but its No. 26 ranking in half-court offense and No. 19 slot in clutch offense are clear deficiencies that need addressing.
The Rockets sat out the deadline as part of a bet on organic growth. It's entirely possible the imminent return of Jabari Smith Jr. and further development from Amen Thompson will eventually make the gear-grinding offense a thing of the past. At some point, maybe Jalen Green will avoid following up hot months with cold ones. This is still a long-term project.
A little progress down the stretch would be nice, though, and it'd make the Rockets' offseason planning cleaner if they got more evidence that their late-stage scoring issues can be solved internally.
Indiana Pacers: Is the Forward Problem Solvable?
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Poor rebounding rates and a penchant for putting opponents on the foul line way too often have been defining features of the Indiana Pacers for several seasons, and they’re both symptoms of a lack of perimeter size and heft.
Indiana recently inserted Aaron Nesmith into the starting lineup ahead of Bennedict Mathurin, which should help a bit. But even if Nesmith is an upgrade over Mathurin in the defense and physicality departments, he’s actually still undersized for the task the Pacers are asking him to perform.
The other rotation options Indy could slot up front next to Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam—Jarace Walker and Obi Toppin—are both so deep in the red from an on-off perspective that they can quickly be ruled out of larger roles.
The Pacers have impressively righted the ship after a brutal start and are threats to outscore opponents most nights. But with the playoffs looming, Indiana still needs to find ways to shore up its key, well-known weaknesses.
LA Clippers: Is Ben Simmons Playable When It Matters?
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Ben Simmons’ unwillingness to seek contact on drives or shoot from the perimeter make him an odd fit in almost any situation, but he still managed to improve the Brooklyn Nets’ offensive rating when on the floor.
The likelihood of Simmons repeating that feat with the LA Clippers will hinge on him finding ways to fit next to Ivica Zubac.
Obviously, Simmons will spend plenty of time on second units that don’t include the big man. But for him to really have an impact in the games LA cares about this spring, Simmons needs to show he’s viable with the team’s other top players. Can he add enough value as a transition pace-pusher and halfcourt facilitator to offset the spacing crunch he’ll surely exacerbate when sharing the court with Zubac?
Squint hard, and there’s some poor man’s Aaron Gordon upside for Simmons, who really just needs to defend, pass and cut next to James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
Los Angeles Lakers: Can They Survive Up Front?
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Let’s just say opposing scouting reports will get through several discussion points before they land on Jaxson Hayes and Alex Len, the Los Angeles Lakers’ primary centers.
The combination of Luka Dončić and LeBron James means the Lakers will always have a high-end organizer on the floor. Lobs will be plentiful, and Los Angeles should generally have no trouble finding ways to score. But can this team really make playoff noise with a pair of defensively deficient bigs who can’t threaten opponents around the basket unless they’re being spoon-fed for dunks?
Dončić has never been confused with a disruptive defender, and James, 40, conspicuously picks his spots on D. They’re not going to make up for the limitations of their frontcourt partners.
Unless Jarred Vanderbilt can recapture some of the short-minute defensive magic he flashed years ago during stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz, Los Angeles is going to be searching for answers in the middle.
Memphis Grizzlies: Who's Checking Big Wings?
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Marcus Smart was injured and ineffective throughout his brief Memphis Grizzlies tenure, but the theory of him still made sense on a roster that lacks physical stoppers with size. Rookie Jaylen Wells has been a revelation, but he doesn’t quite have the heft or length to profile as a great option against big-wing scoring threats.
Vince Williams Jr. has shown flashes on defense when healthy, but the 6’4” guard is only a few games into his return. Desmond Bane is yet another 2-sized option who’d be overmatched against the Luka Dončićs, Jimmy Butlers and Kevin Durants of the world.
With Jaren Jackson Jr. leading a dominant defense that has plenty of size and versatility up front, maybe Memphis’ lack of an ideal option for superstar threats won’t matter so much. But the Grizzlies are currently second in the West and therefore worthy members of the contender class. That means any small deficiency is bound to be magnified as they advance through the playoffs.
Miami Heat: Who's Picking Up the Offensive Slack?
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Though he spent a good chunk of his pre-deadline stint with the Miami Heat being suspended and operating with at least one foot already out the door, Jimmy Butler was arguably the main reason a middling offense wasn’t outright terrible.
Tyler Herro is the only Heat player with a more positive on-off impact on Miami’s offensive rating this season, and it’s fair to wonder how much more he can do. He’s already the team’s runaway leader in frontcourt touches and time of possession.
Perhaps Butler’s departure will ultimately fall into the “addition by subtraction” bucket. With the vibes cleansed, Miami might just get better offensive play from all parties involved. Bam Adebayo has certainly been better in the past, just to cite one obvious improvement candidate.
Still, the Heat are a bottom-10 offense that just lost their best overall weapon. Recovering from that won’t be easy.
Milwaukee Bucks: Which Kuzma Is the Real Kuzma?
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You never want to judge a person by their worst moment, but Kyle Kuzma has spent several seasons accumulating some pretty bad ones with the Washington Wizards. It’s possible the guy we’ve watched play unserious basketball with Washington for the last few years isn’t just a product of that rough environment.
Maybe Kuzma is who he’s seemed to be since joining the Wizards in 2021-22.
But what if the Milwaukee Bucks were right to believe that Kuzma isn’t his Washington self at his core, but is instead closer to the role-playing contributor to winning basketball he was in his early days with the Los Angeles Lakers?
That’s a risky bet, and making it cost the Bucks a franchise pillar in Khris Middleton. Milwaukee needs to figure out if that Lakers version of Kuzma, who turned in two seasons of at least 36.0 percent shooting from deep and did a lot of the ever-valuable little things on a title-winner, is still in there.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Can They Keep Maximizing Anthony Edwards' Attacks?
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Julius Randle went down with a right adductor strain on Jan. 30, and a critical aspect of the Minnesota Timberwolves offense changed immediately.
Up to that date, Anthony Edwards was averaging 14.1 drives and generating 2.8 free-throw attempts per game on those attacks. Though Edwards deserves massive credit for morphing into a high-volume, high-accuracy three-point shooter in the wake of Randle’s arrival (and Karl-Anthony Towns’ departure), it’s always felt like those treys were a concession.
Cut to the immediate post-Randle stretch of the schedule, and Ant seemed reborn. Minnesota's first handful of games without Randle found Edwards driving 18.3 times per game and generating 7.8 foul shots on those forays into the lane, leveraging his elite athleticism and power in a newly spaced floor.
Randle has a player option this summer, which means the Wolves don’t have total control over his future. For now, they need to figure out how they’ll navigate things when he returns from injury later this season. Preserving the best parts of Edwards’ game, which he’s tapped back into with Randle out of the lineup, needs to be a major priority—even if it means marginalizing Randle.
New Orleans Pelicans: Is There Anything to Salvage?
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The hits just keep coming for the New Orleans Pelicans, who decided they’d shut down defensive stopper Herb Jones just days after trading away Brandon Ingram and losing Dejounte Murray to a ruptured Achilles.
Though 2024-25 has been a lost cause for several months, the Pelicans still need to find some way to extract value from what remains of the season. Fail to do that, and it’ll be harder to have faith in a rebound next year.
Maybe a fully healthy stretch run from Zion Williamson will inspire some hope, or perhaps Trey Murphy III will take a season that already qualified as a breakout to an even higher level. His ascent would certainly make it easier to justify taking back the underwhelming duo of Bruce Brown Jr. and Kelly Olynyk for Ingram.
New York Knicks: Is the Robinson-Towns Frontcourt A Real Thing?
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We’ve been saying it all year because it’s true: Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns need to share the floor together for an extended stretch so the New York Knicks can gauge their viability as a postseason tandem.
Robinson will help the Knicks no matter what. They need another big body to man the paint, control the glass and help them get back to generating great second-chance opportunities via offensive boards. But his fit next to Towns in double-big looks matters more to New York’s postseason ceiling than anything else.
That doesn’t mean the Knicks will immediately bench Josh Hart and start Robinson if early results are promising. The team’s preferred starting lineup—with Hart next to Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and KAT—has a plus-5.9 net rating over a huge sample of minutes. That’s too good to mess with. But New York should absolutely tinker with configurations that add size, rim-protection and rebounding to its profile.
Oklahoma City Thunder: What Can Holmgren and Hartenstein Do Together?
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Consider this a scaled-up version of the Knicks’ two-big issue, as the Oklahoma City Thunder’s curiosity about how well Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren will work as a pair figures to have a much greater impact on the stretch run and postseason.
New York is a very good team, but OKC has brushed up against greatness all year—despite seeing Holmgren and Hartenstein on the floor for fewer than 100 total possessions.
The results in that tiny sample have been mind-blowing, headlined by a plus-39.1 net rating.
That level of dominance is too good to be true, but there’s plenty of room for that figure to fall while still leaving opponents terrified. Cut it in half, and it’s still unthinkably high.
Oklahoma City has one of the best defenses of all time, but its attack stands as a relative weak point. Pairing Holmgren’s spacing with Hartenstein’s work as a passer, screen-setter and offensive rebounder could unlock new levels for an already excellent Thunder team. Hopefully, we get to see a lot more of it between now and the postseason.
Orlando Magic: How Good Are They When Healthy?
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It’s easy to write off the Orlando Magic’s mildly disappointing season to injury. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, indisputably the team’s three most important pieces, have appeared in just six games together.
The Magic have been banking on organic growth for a couple of years now, and while the overall results have been excellent, the team is deeply flawed. On pace to post one of the worst three-point percentages of the modern era, the Magic didn’t chase down any shooting at the trade deadline.
Once Suggs is back, Orlando has to soak up as much data about its core’s strengths and weaknesses as possible. Late-season samples aren’t always predictive because many teams are tanking and/or resting key players, but the next couple of months are all the Magic have to inform their offseason moves.
Philadelphia 76ers: Is It Time to Pack It in?
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We’ve asked the question before and concluded that, no, the Philadelphia 76ers can’t realistically tank hard enough to overtake (undertake?) the teams that viewed this season as a race to the bottom from the jump.
In light of Joel Embiid’s recent admission that his troublesome left knee might require another operation, we need to reevaluate that stance—not necessarily because Philadelphia’s odds of keeping the top-six protected pick it owes to the Thunder are any better, but because it’s getting harder and harder to argue it has anything to gain by pushing for wins the rest of the way.
If Embiid needs another surgery, why wait until the offseason, pushing back his recovery timeline? If Paul George can’t catch a rhythm, why force it? Tyrese Maxey seems hobbled with some minor issue once a week or so. What’s the harm in letting him rest so he can attack the summer in good health?
With 2024-25 already circling the drain, the Sixers need to ask themselves whether their full focus should turn to 2025-26—for reasons that have nothing to do with their draft pick.
Phoenix Suns: Is It Already Over?
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Kevin Durant does not want you to overanalyze his body language, but you don’t exactly need slowed-down footage or the classic movie trope where someone scrutinizing a wall of TV screens shouts “enhance!” several times to see the vibes are off in Phoenix.
KD and the Suns could change the narrative—you know, the one where everybody except them understands this experiment is over—by winning. A playoff trip would certainly make it easier to believe this pricey and recklessly constructed core can succeed. But more realistically, the Suns have to figure out what, if anything, is worth saving.
Could rookie Ryan Dunn be a long-term keeper? Is Nick Richards a legitimate starter at center on a good team? Can Booker still be the central piece of the next competitive Suns team?
The KD-Beal era is cooked, so Phoenix must determine how much of the rest of the roster has a future with the team.
Portland Trail Blazers: What Are the Top Priorities?
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Every win the Portland Trail Blazers accumulated over a 10-1 stretch from Jan. 19 to Feb. 6 was a mixed blessing. This team, which is still bringing many of its most important long-term contributors off the bench in deference to veterans who shouldn’t figure into future plans, needs to decide how many more of those victories are worth chasing.
January was easily the best month of Scoot Henderson’s career. He averaged 14.6 points and 5.3 assists while hitting 43.8 percent of his threes. And yet he came off the bench in 11 of the 16 games he played.
Portland should have risked disrupting one of the best runs of success it’s had in years by slotting Henderson into the first unit and testing the legitimacy of that production over larger samples against opposing starters. That it didn’t suggests a bizarre misalignment of priorities.
The Blazers need to develop the core pieces they have and position themselves to get more through the draft. They’ve won a lot of games lately, but it’s hard to argue they’re doing either of those things.
Sacramento Kings: Is This Just Chicago Bulls "West"?
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De’Aaron Fox’s preference to play in San Antonio limited the Kings’ trade-return options, but their willingness to onboard Zach LaVine belied a desire to stay competitive in the short term rather than a more ambitious effort to build a championship roster.
That Sacramento re-teamed LaVine with DeMar DeRozan, the tandem most responsible for Chicago’s multiyear stint on the mediocrity treadmill, was almost too on the nose.
Let’s not forget that the Kings lost their connection with Fox in the first place because he didn’t believe they were interested in chasing something more than modest success. Now that he's gone, that goal seems unchanged.
That should concern Kings fans who've seen enough uninspiring basketball to last a lifetime.
San Antonio Spurs: Is De'Aaron Fox No. 2 or No. 3?
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De’Aaron Fox was a good get at a great price, a quality starter who fell into the San Antonio Spurs’ lap by way of a one-team trade request. The Spurs could have justified paying more than they did, and a max extension for the 27-year-old point guard feels like a defensible foregone conclusion.
That doesn’t mean Fox is necessarily the ideal No. 2 option next to Victor Wembanyama.
For the rest of this season, the Spurs need to evaluate whether to use their surplus of assets on a complement to the Wemby-Fox duo or on a player who actually occupies a spot in the pecking order above the point guard they just acquired.
San Antonio has loads of young players who’ll develop, led by Stephon Castle. It also boasts a heap of draft capital, despite using some to land Fox. Another high-profile addition to the core is coming; the Spurs just need to figure out what form it should take.
Toronto Raptors: Can Brandon Ingram Adapt His Game?
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The Toronto Raptors don’t have to spend the rest of the season worrying about how much to pay Brandon Ingram. They already decided that one, handing the former All-Star a three-year deal worth $120 million.
With the money now officially spent, Toronto should go about determining how to get the best return on investment. That’ll entail settling on a role for Ingram that maximizes his individual impact while also fitting into the team concept.
Ingram was posting a career-high 6.4 three-point attempts per game with the Pelicans before spraining his ankle in December, and the Raps should see if they can convince him to treat that number as a floor.
Many of the fit issues Ingram endured in New Orleans stemmed from his penchant for self-created two-point jumpers. That didn’t work well with Zion Williamson, and that’ll also be the case with Scottie Barnes.
Utah Jazz: Is Keyonte George on the Right Track?
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Keyonte George’s numbers through his first year and change in the NBA are exceptional for a lot of the wrong reasons, but also for some of the right ones.
He’s played over 100 total games and has so far posted a field-goal percentage of 39.4 percent while hitting just 33.5 percent of his threes. Those hit rates raise real questions about his viability as a starting-caliber contributor, even if his youth and the Utah Jazz’s losing environment are legit excuses.
Consider this, though: Of the nine other guards to post percentages that low over their first two seasons (minimum 100 games), several went on to make real impacts, led by Hall of Famer Jason Kidd. The list also includes All-Star Mookie Blaylock, Jason Williams, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony.
Basically, guards who see as much action as George at an early age despite shooting numbers that bad also show enough signs of potential to justify all that playing time.
It’s up to George to prove he has more in common with the high-end members of that list than he does with the likes of Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke.
Washington Wizards: Can They Define an Identity?
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The Washington Wizards aren’t going to win many games between now and the end of the season, but they can still make the most of the next two months by establishing an identity.
That’s a tall order for a team with a lot of young players in prominent roles. Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly and the rest of the youth corps are mostly just trying to keep their heads above water. But the Wizards can use what’s left of the season to settle on their preferred pace, defensive principles and level of competitiveness.
These young Wizards might be overmatched, but they also have nothing to lose. Jordan Poole is certainly playing with a level of freedom worth admiring.
Hopefully, these low stakes will allow the Wizards to play aggressively without fear of errors. The alternative—coasting to the close of a dead-end season—could establish a culture that’ll be hard to shake, perhaps even delaying the team’s eventual return to relevance.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.
Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@gt_hughes), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.
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