SB Nation NBA Reacts Week 13, Part 1: Wizards fans give team a B or C for the first half of the season

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Weekly fan confidence stays about the same since last week

SB Nation

Fan confidence stayed about the same in our most recent survey, where 65 percent of fans said that the Washington Wizards were moving in the right direction. Last week, it was 69 percent. 326 people responded to the survey!

Here are some responses why fans were confident.

• “They’re getting pieces back that have been put all season and also coming back from protocol or injuries.”
• “Recent struggles aside, we need to keep the bigger picture in focus. The team has a number of skilled role players that can contribute on a title contender or be packaged later for a true impact player. Getting out from under the massive Wall contract remains the kind of franchise-defining masterstroke that can set the franchise up for long-term success. Ultimately, this season was never about contention. Hovering around .500 seems about right for the current team. What to do with Beal remains the existential question for the direction of the team. Either way, I remain confident in Tommy Sheppard and Sashi Brown.”
• “Progress is not always measured in wins and losses, and sometimes you have to take two steps forward and one step backwards. There are signs that they’re still figuring some things out. I believe the ups and downs will eventually even out and the trajectory will become more consistent.”
• “We’re moving in the right direction. Since EG’s departure, Tommy has done a great job correcting past mistakes and building for the future. We now have a solid and deep team. While we’re not a great team, we shouldn’t be desperate to make changes. Our three highest paid players (Beal, Dinwiddie, and Bertans) have had subpar first halves of the season but, in the second half, should move closer to their historic averages. Coupled with the return of Rui Hachimura and Thomas Bryant, I’m hopeful for a 45-win season and making it past the first round in the playoffs. And here is why some fans weren’t confident.”

And here is why some fans aren’t confident in team direction.

• “Dinwiddie has not been the dynamic playmaker the team thought he’d be; Beal tends to hog the ball a bit; the roster still needs improvement.”
• “What do they do with Beal? He’s a top-25 player, but definitely not top-10. Do you overpay him now given your lack of better on-court options or look to move him for picks/young players that could develop? Absent a true (i.e. top-10) star, they are going to remain in the ‘mushy middle’ of teams stuck in the treadmill of mediocrity.”

Nearly everyone who graded the Wizards’ first half performance gave them a B or C

SB Nation

A combined 95 percent of our respondents gave the Wizards a grade of a “B” or “C” at the midpoint. Washington is currently 21-20 this season, doing a little better than preseason expectations where Vegas bookies expected them to be a 35 win team. Only 18 people gave a different grade (five gave an A, 12 a D, and one gave an F). Given that the Wizards are performing close to season expectations, it shouldn’t be a surprise that grades have generally been in that range.

Our national results will come out later this week.

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