Despite defense and a bad record, the Wizards are doing just fine at this season’s midpoint

Every Monday, SB Nation gives its weekly FanPulse survey asking us a national question on the NBA and how confident we are in the Washington Wizards. For the most part, team fan confidence has remained stable, with a solid majority showing confidence in the Wizards’ direction.

There are many good things about this season. First, there is a strong commitment to playing younger players, which will help shape the long-term vision of this Wizards team in the future. I’m not just talking about Rui Hachimura and Davis Bertans. Anzejs Pasceniks, Garrison Mathews, Gary Payton II and Johnathan Williams are just a few of Washington’s newest additions who have made larger, more positive impacts than expected when they joined.

The thing I am more concerned about (besides Washington’s league-worst defense is the apparent disconnect between the young core group of players the Wizards are developing with Bradley Beal’s and John Wall’s collective desire to compete in the short-term. If the Wizards decide to “go for it” next season, I’m sure they will have to make some short-term moves, which means a good chunk of their young group will have to be traded or cut let go of many, if not most of their young core — all of this which goes against their long-term goal of replenishing their development pipeline.

Washington is currently 13-28 at the exact midpoint of the 2019-20 NBA season. At this rate, they will win 26 games, one more than I predicted in SB Nation’s NBA league preview. Overall, I am content with where Washington is headed this season, even with the injuries and Beal’s recent comments. Things could have been better, especially on defense and injuries. But they could have been a lot worse too.

How good of a job do you think the Wizards have done in the 2019-20 season all things considered? Let us know in the comments below.