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SB Nation Reacts: Fan confidence plummets as the Wizards stumble to finish the season

Most fans think the team should have tanked the season, even without hindsight.

By Albert Lee
/ new
Orlando Magic v Washington Wizards Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

Thank you for your responses to this week’s SB Nation Reacts survey. Our Washington Wizards results are below. Our national results will come out tomorrow.

Most Wizards fans remain unconfident in team direction heading into the last games of the season

SB Nation

It is spring break in many school districts in the DMV. But that didn’t slow down the anger many Wizards fans have in the team, where 84 percent of respondents gave 1s and 2s, indicating that they weren’t confident in team direction. Sixty-eight percent of respondents gave 1s! When only six percent are clearly confident int he Wizards’ team direction, something is wrong.

Why are fans confident?

  • “Decent chance they get a good player in the draft. Even if next season is as bad as this one was, I think they could start a rebuild mid-season and give us hope for the future.”
  • “Jay Huff was a good find for a future second unit center.”
  • “ Porzingis, Avdija, and Davis. Believe in Unseld.”

And why are they not?

  • “TRADE BEAL AND FIRE UNSELD!”
  • “The Wizards aren’t a serious organization.”
  • “Not trading Kyle Kuzma at the trade deadline was a big mistake.”
  • “The franchise is doomed to mediocrity at best for the duration of Beal’s contract. We’re looking to make it worse by reupping a “Big Three” that can’t win consistently anyway. And we have shown little ability to draft and/or develop effectively.”

Yeah, there are a LOT of unhappy responses. I had over 250 of them, and way more voters!

Wizards fans believe that not tanking was a mistake, even without hindsight

SB Nation

When sixty-nine percent of our respondents believe that the Wizards should have tanked this season, no one should be surprised that fan confidence is low when:

  1. The Wizards started committing to building around a core group of veterans that haven’t played much together.
  2. The Wizards give a supermax contract — WITH A NO-TRADE CLAUSE — to a player who also has become more injury prone this season.
  3. Make no significant move to improve the roster for a playoff push at the trade deadline. In fact, they made NO moves at the trade deadline.
  4. The Wizards stumbling out of the post All-Star Break schedule and playing themselves out of play-in contention. Washington had an easier-than-average post All-Star Break schedule too!
  5. The Wizards are doing whatever they can to keep their two other high-performing veterans next year.
  6. The Wizards can really use a young French player in Europe right now. Yes, I know France hasn’t delivered for the Wizards because of Ian Mahinmi and Kevin Seraphin, but this current guy looks like the REAL FREAKING DEAL! And yet, the Wizards seem to act like they DON’T need him!
  7. Finally, the survey closed before last night’s game, but the Wizards still won (and really tried to win a game) that hurt them in the lottery race for this French prospect! Kevin Broom is able to articulate that better than me.

Yeah, this season sucked. A lot!

Our national results will be released tomorrow. Happy Easter Weekend everyone.

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