Optimism prevailing despite labor troubles
After a season defined mostly by change and uncertainty, the Wizards began an offseason Thursday that could be filled with the same. But they remained at ease, knowing that after a disappointing start to the year, the foundation of a competitive team was laid over the final weeks of the season with a cornerstone in John Wall that gives the franchise reason to believe in its future.
“I think he was phenomenal,” Wizards coach Flip Saunders said. “If Blake Griffin wasn’t a rookie this year and was a rookie last year, the accolades John would be getting would be off the charts.”
During a season in which the last of the Wizards’ Big Three from the previous decade, Gilbert Arenas, was traded away, the holdovers from before Saunders’ tenure — Andray Blatche, Nick Young and JaVale McGee — all had career years. But Wall, burdened with the expectations of being the No. 1 pick in last summer’s draft and thrust into the role of captain despite being just 20 years old, set the tone, averaging 16.4 points, 8.3 assists and 4.6 rebounds.
“I think this year we was really kind of scared of saying something to one another without them getting mad,” Wall said. “Next year we got to hold each other accountable.”
By the start of spring, the development of fellow rookie Trevor Booker and the midseason additions of Maurice Evans and yet another rookie, Jordan Crawford, helped mitigate the pain of 25 consecutive road losses to start the season, injuries to Rashard Lewis and Josh Howard, a franchise-low three road wins and at least 56 losses overall for the third straight season.
Wall said his team needs to add another big man, another wing player and a backup point guard this summer, and Saunders expects to get at least two of those from the draft, in which the Wizards have a pair of first-round picks, and potentially others through free agency.
When those players might suit up is another story. Just like in the NFL, a potential lockout is looming if labor talks don’t progress. The collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players expires June 30.
“I’m very optimistic,” said Evans, a vice president of the National Basketball Players Association. “I don’t think nothing’s going to happen before July 1, obviously, so therefore, technically, there will be a lockout, but we’re looking forward to having as many meetings as necessary.”
As odd as it sounds for a team that finished 23-59, the sooner the better.
“It’s been a long year,” Saunders said. “It’s been a year of ups and downs in some ways, but I think it finished more on a high note. It was somewhat rewarding, not from the standpoint of wins, but you’re hoping that the process that we’ve gone through and the evaluation and the development of the players, we’re going to reap the dividends of that this next year.”
