Apr 9, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards head coach Brian Keefe looks on from the bench against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Wizards Have Clear Reason for Lack of Recent Success

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Tyrone Montgomery | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 5:00 PM ET

To have success with any life business, you have to produce a good business or product. That requires a special talent that many people don’t have. Patience is also required. For any business to flourish, your staff must be capable and reliable as well. You have to have individuals on your staff who are willing to go the extra mile. These individuals must be willing to put in the extra work even when that isn’t asked of them. They must be willing to do these things even when it isn’t a requirement. When they do so, they typically tend to separate themselves from the rest of the bunch. In the NBA, with the Washington Wizards, it is hard to identify any individuals who separated themselves from the rest of the players in the league.

CBS Sports’ Top 25 NBA players of the 21st century:

1. LeBron James
2. Stephen Curry
3. Tim Duncan
4. Nikola Jokic
5. Shaquille O'Neal
6. Kobe Bryant
7. Giannis Antetokounmpo
8. Kevin Durant
9. Kevin Garnett
10. Dirk Nowitzki
11. Dwyane Wade
12. Chris Paul
13. Kawhi…
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 25, 2025

Longevity is also important for businesses to thrive. Anyone can start a business of their own on any given day and at any moment. The real question is, can they keep the business going? Can they keep the good employees around long-term to help keep the business thriving? When we think about the Wizards , John Wall wasn’t around very long due to injuries. Availability is the best ability. Bradley Beal also suffered injuries. Gilbert Arenas' time with the Wizards was cut short due to injuries and off-court issues. Players who have played at a high level for the Wizards were Dwight Howard and Russell Westbrook. However, they only played in Washington for one season. Westbrook and Howard have been named to CBS’s Top 25 players of the 21st century. That one year isn’t enough for the Wizards. That is why the Wizards have struggled over the years.

David Banks-Imagn Images

To be the best team, you have to have the best players. You have to have them for a long period of time so you can have multiple attempts at winning a championship. The Wizards simply simply haven’t been able to acquire and keep great players over the years. While they have added many talented players through the draft, they haven’t been able to keep some of them, while others just haven’t been able to develop into top-tier players. If the Wizards are to be great and become a contender again, they will need to find a generational talent and retain them for many years to come, rather than have them as a rental.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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