Washington Wizards head coach Brian Keefe Jess Rapfogel/GettyImages

Wizards’ Current Roster Isn’t Built to Compete

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Lane Mills | Last updated Nov 14, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The lowest spot in the Eastern Conference, for almost the entirety of the last two seasons, has belonged almost solely to the woeful Washington Wizards. After having finished both those respective campaigns with less than 20 wins in each, the franchise clearly needed to make a change this past offseason; to some extent, the front office did move pieces around as a result.

Change Without Improvement

Veterans were brought in, another highly-touted rookie was drafted and, under the still-somewhat-new head coach Brian Keefe, things were expected to take a turn towards the sky for the first time in a long time for D.C. hoops.

Now, through 12 games, Keefe's redone roster is 1-11, consistently boasting a league-worst defense, severe rotational issues and a sheer lack of identity. Put plainly, the 2025-26 Washington Wizards team would be impossible to identify in a crowd. Nothing about this team, as they're constructed now, stands out, or demands any level of special attention. By all the measures that are typically used to judge a team — having a "go-to" guy, solid depth pieces and complimentary, reliable scorers — Washington currently falls short.

Instead of trying to win with their current construction, the franchise might be better off cutting their losses, cutting the incessant fluff and focusing on what works within the group moving forward. Aside from sophomore forward Alex Sarr, that may be very little.

Alex Sarr tonight:

25 PTS ⚡️ 11 REB pic.twitter.com/5WrJHC9CGA
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 13, 2025

Scarce Positives (Are Still Positives)

While Sarr continues to post double-doubles in the Wizards' front court, the rest of the team ranges from secondarily good to downright unplayable. For the most part, the likes of Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly (when he plays) and Tre Johnson, even given his expected rookie struggles, have been compelling plug-ins alongside Washington's developing star in Sarr to help him pick up the slack.

But on the other hand, the team's veterans have struggled to make an impact beyond pure, stat-driven scoring numbers.

While CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton have put points on the board, sometimes in excess, their inability to play within the team's developing system, or even score consistently or efficiently, has rendered their comparatively high-paid roles as unworthy on a team that will likely be entirely without their need after another year of their young pieces developing.

For now, the Wizards, due in large part to their veteran reliance, simply aren't prepared to break the curse that binds them to low rankings across the board. Until the roster commits and emboldens itself to the make-or-break young talent within it, 15th place in the East will likely remain the norm.

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

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