Wizards look to promising future after another disappointing season

How does a team define success when nobody — including the bosses — expects them to compete for a championship? That was the overarching question for the Washington Wizards’ players and coaches on Monday, less than 24 hours after their season ended.

For Wizards coach Brian Keefe, success looked like establishing a culture dedicated to putting in the work. In that way, this season was worth celebrating, he said.

“Not where we want to be, but it’s a good starting point,” Keefe said.

Monday’s formalities closed the book on another woeful campaign in the standings. The Wizards finished with an abysmal 18-64 record, a slight improvement from last season but still one of the worst finishes in franchise history.

This season wasn’t about winning. Keefe, general manager Will Dawkins and team president Michael Winger made that clear in September.

Before the season, Dawkins said the franchise was still in “teardown” mode. They were only starting to lay the foundation.

A promising season has carried the home-building analogy to its next phase.

“I remember sitting here last year, talking about what it takes to build the foundation and laying down the pieces,” said guard Jordan Poole, who led the team with a career-high 20.5 points per game. “This year, we definitely put the frame up.”

The Wizards have pieces to build on now — support beams that will become walls.

No. 2 pick Alex Sarr overcame early struggles to find success inside and outside, averaging 16.8 points per game and shooting 38% on three-pointers after the All-Star break. Fellow first-rounder Kyshawn George balanced offensive production with defensive playmaking, limiting fouls as the season wore on.

Guard Bub Carrington also shined. With 364 assists, the 19-year-old ranks second all-time in assists before a player’s 20th birthday. Only LeBron James is ahead of him.

“There was a reason I started him from Day 1: because of his personality,” Keefe said of Carrington, who played all 82 games. “His competitiveness, his joy for the game. I felt like we really needed that as an organization from the get-go.”

In the season opener, Carrington matched up against Jrue Holiday and the defending champion Boston Celtics. The rookie responded by chirping all game.

“Which is exactly what you would expect a kid from Baltimore to do,” Keefe said of his rookie guard.

No team played their rookies more than the Wizards. Every game saw Carrington, Sarr, George and midseason acquisition A.J. Johnson gaining experience with valuable time on the court.

“It’s like quarterbacks. It’s the reps under center,” Keefe said. “These are important things to develop this because we want to be good long-term. We weren’t going to sacrifice [for] a win in the middle of the season. We want to make sure that there’s something sustainable.”

The development of Washington’s draft picks, along with the addition of trade acquisitions Khris Middleton, Marcus Smart and Johnson, saw the season end on a positive note. The league-worst defense stepped up down the stretch, to Keefe’s delight.

“We’re building something here, you can see that,” Sarr said Monday. “We have a lot of young players. [finish].” OR “We’re pretty close. We’re going through the same thing together. For us to go through the same rookie year together where we all get a lot of minutes, that’s pretty special.”

The late-season improvement was a double-edged sword for a Wizards organization that admits that there’s plenty of work to do. Late wins cost them improved lottery odds as the Utah Jazz finished with the worst record in the league.

As the second-worst team, the Wizards are tied for the top odds to land the No. 1 selection in June’s NBA draft. Washington has a 14% chance of winning the lottery, tied for the best odds in the league. A lucky draw could send Duke phenom Cooper Flagg, the unanimous top prospect, to the District.

But there’s an 86% chance that NBA commissioner Adam Silver draws somebody else’s ping-pong ball during the lottery. The Wizards have a 13% chance of landing the second pick, a 13% shot at the third pick and a 28% chance at the No. 5 pick — the most likely outcome. The franchise is locked into a top-six selection.

The Wizards could also add another first-round selection if the Memphis Grizzlies advance past the Western Conference play-in tournament.

Washington will watch the playoffs with an eye on the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Houston Rockets and the Detroit Pistons.

Those franchises are just a few seasons removed from being league cellar-dwellers. A combination of lottery luck and shrewd offseason moves turned them from lottery hopefuls to championship contenders.

“I definitely think this team could be a playoff team,” said Middleton, who noted that he’s undecided about using his $34 million player option this season. “You just have to develop, work.”

By the time the Wizards are ready to contend, the team will belong to the likes of Sarr, George, Johnson and Carrington. Flagg — if the Wizards are lucky enough to land him — would be a crucial addition to that core.

The draft is still two months away, but the path back to relevance has already begun for the Wizards.

“We have a lot of work to do. And we’re not afraid of that and not afraid to admit where we are,” Keefe said. “But I think we have established the habits of a team that can get to where we want to go.”