NBA Draft 2023: The Wizards aren’t far away from having the best chance to get the No. 1 pick

Well, well, well. I have traditionally been pretty mum about what direction the Washington Wizards should go in over the last couple of seasons. But recently, I’ve more publicly thrown my weight around being all-in for the Wizards starting a true rebuild. Bradley Beal is a classy man and he’s an All-Star. I just don’t see the Wizards having the talent and depth needed to build a competitive roster around him.

It’s not like the Wizards have played well enough to stay in contention for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Thanks to their 10-game losing streak, Washington has a 13-21 record, tied for fifth-worst in the NBA with the Orlando Magic. That gives them a 9.8 percent chance at the top pick should the regular season end today. The fifth-worst team generally has a 10.5 percent chance at the top pick.

I know that some people who read this post will be quick to tell me that I have gone dark on the Wizards. Maybe the Wizards will play as they did for the last 70 games in the 2016-17 season and make a run to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

The thing is that the Wizards have played nearly half of the regular season at this point. They are a below-average team EVEN with Beal, Kristaps Porzingis AND Kyle Kuzma as a healthy trio. That’s not a knock on Beal, KP and Kuz’s talent. But rather, their overall depth is lacking. And don’t get me started about their draft selections before this season.

Sure, the Wizards have a slightly easier-than-average remaining schedule. The Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons are also well below .500 and also have “easier schedules.” It’s not like the Wizards are likely going to win most of their games for the rest of the season.

In closing, the Wizards as they stand have a better-than-average chance at getting the No. 1 overall draft pick next season. I get that players will always try to win games. But if the Wizards decide to trade Kuzma before the deadline, it just makes more sense to go all-in on a rebuild, right?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.