Assessing Development of Wizards' Coach and General Manager

This is year two of the Washington Wizards' rebuild, and when you hear about development, it is often associated with the young core of Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr and Carlton "Bub" Carrington.

While the development of the players should be prioritized, it's also important in the front office and for the head coach, and success in those facets could make or break Washington's rebuild.

General Manager Will Dawkins

Dawkins is in year two of a long rebuild, and this is also his second year being a general manager of a NBA franchise in general.

He has made his mark pretty fast, trading franchise player Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns and signing Kyle Kuzma to a sizable extension before later dealing him away to the Milwaukee Bucks. He was also able to sign veterans such as Jonas Valanciunas, trade for undervalued players like Marvin Bagley III, and re-sign young players with value who are associated with the previous regime like Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert just to trade a majority of them for picks and young prospects. Picks and prospects, they go together in a rebuild like peanut butter and jelly go together on toast.

The biggest and most important thing that Dawkins has done is hit on his draft picks. Coulibaly and Sarr are defensive-minded players who were raw offensively coming out of their drafts but bring versatility, which are the type of players he loves and the type that succeed in the modern NBA.

Both he and the league as a whole also love players who can defend and shoot at a high percentage from three, better known as 3&D players. Carrington, Kyshawn George and Tristan Vukcevic all fit that mold. Speaking of Vukcevic, he was drafted in the second round. The narrative is that second-rounders never play in Washington, and yet Will Dawkins said, "Hold my beer."

The latest victory was this year's trade deadline. He was able to acquire first-round picks in 2025 and 2026 while adding two young prospects in AJ Johnson and Colby Jones.

Is he done? No, not even close. The goal is a championship, and while he has developed quite well for a second-year GM, he has a ways to go until he'll be mentioned with the Danny Ainge's and the Sam Presti's of the world. He's definitely on the right trajectory though.

Head Coach Brian Keefe

After taking over as interim head coach last season following Wes Unseld Jr.'s departure, it took Keefe no time to leave his mark.

The players, veterans and youngsters alike, bought into him right away. Not only does he care about them and believe in what the Wizards are doing, but he's also established a culture and a standard to which he holds his group.

Keefe was brought in because he was one of the best developmental assistant coaches in the NBA. Players such as Kevin Durant and James Harden owe some of their own growth to him. Now, he's the head coach and with that comes not only more responsibilities, but also expectations. Being an assistant is one thing, being the head of a staff is another.

This is his first full year as a HC, so he's going through his fair share of bumps and bruises and is still learning how to be one in the NBA. He has one advantage though, which is culture. Not only have the players bought in, he has as well.

The motto in DC is "Play hard, play to win." While it'll take time until you see the fruits of the labor of rebuilding, the Wizards are headed in the right direction. They have a good young core to build upon, but they can also rest assured that there is finally some life in the front office and on the bench. It just takes time.

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