Nov 25, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (20) reacts after a dunk alongside Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Why Wins Are Valuable for Rebuilding Wizards

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Owen Jury | Last updated Nov 27, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Washington Wizards claimed their second win of the season Nov. 25, beating the Atlanta Hawks 132–113. It took a near-perfect team performance, with multiple Wizards playing arguably their best game of the year, but any win is a win when the Wizards are as bad as they are. Although the win pushed Washington to just 2–15, this game was still an important landmark for the team to achieve.

One of the most underrated components of a successful rebuild is instilling a winning mindset into a young team. Of course, the goal of every game for every player is to play well enough to contribute to winning basketball. But when young players are surrounded by a front office and coaching staff who don't necessarily share a similar short-term goal, it's difficult to build winning habits.

Alex Sarr 25+ point games by season:

2024-25 (67 games played): 1
2025-26 (15 games played): 4 pic.twitter.com/gy0VKoRDrt
— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) November 26, 2025

Creating a Winning Mindset Despite Poor Record

Washington's roster is riddled with young, developing talent who are looking to make their mark in the league. The Wizards have a roster that is built for success in the long run, making everything that they do now pivotal to future success. The Wizards may not have the star power or roster construction capable of winning many games this season, but that's not to say a winning mindset can't be instilled.

The biggest focus of Washington's coaching staff this season should be to compete each and every night. The old saying that process is greater than results couldn't be more true for this Wizards team. Wins may come just a dime a dozen this year, but as long as Washington can get consistent effort out of their players, all will be well.

Laying the Foundation

Losing this season is not only inevitable, but it is also important. Washington has committed itself to losing as many games as possible en route to getting the best pick possible. The 2026 draft class has been touted as one of the best in recent history, making a high pick all the more valuable.

The Washington Wizards have won a basketball game for the first time since Oct. 24.

It’s their first home win since April 2 and first NBA Cup win in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/7S8WcG5S9p
— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) November 26, 2025

It is far from an easy task for head coach Brian Keefe to find the balance between competitive play and losing basketball. He knows as well as anyone that his future rep almost solely lies on his performance this season and how well he executes this rebuild. The Wizards are many years away from being a team that makes a legit push in the playoffs, but the foundation that they lay right now will carry over when that time comes. The win may seem insignificant now, but the value of wins now will be a benefit reaped in the near future.

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

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