During the 2023 NBA off-season, the Washington Wizards decided to trade fan favorites and former all-stars Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis to start a rebuild in Washington, which has been demanded by fans for years. Specifically, trading Bradley Beal showed a major change in Washington, since he had been in DC since being drafted in 2012, as well as being a 3-time NBA all-star while in Washington, and the fourth all-time leading scorer in Washington Wizards history. Beal was traded to the Phoenix Suns for former NBA all-star Chris Paul and draft picks. Paul was later traded to the Golden State Warriors for NBA champion Jordan Poole, coming off a disappointing season.
In this new era in Washington, fans were excited to see what Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma could do with expanded scoring roles, as well as the young talent being held down by veterans Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis. Specifically, Jordan Poole was hyped up to be a 25+ point per game scorer due to him being on a new team, and now being the supposed cornerstone in DC. So far (written on Nov 30), the Wizards have had a rocky start to begin the NBA season. The Washington Wizards currently have a record of 3-16, which is the second-worst record in the NBA. Their last win was recently against the Detroit Pistons on November 27th, but after that, their last win was on November 8th, beating the 6-12 Charlotte Hornets and the 5-14 Memphis Grizzlies on October 28th.
What has arguably been more disappointing than the Wizards’ awful record has been the putrid play of Jordan Poole to begin the season. Jordan Poole has started the season averaging 17.3 points per game, 3.6 assists per game, and 2.6 rebounds per game while shooting 39% from the field and 28% from 3-point range. For reference, Poole is shooting 8% below league average from the field and 3-point range. This awful play from Poole disappointed Wizards fans and NBA fans alike, with them wanting him to succeed after the rough breakup he had with the Golden State Warriors.
A positive aspect of the Wizards season has been the play of Deni Avdija, who has made a jump across all statistical categories. Avdija is currently averaging more points per game (9 to 12) and assists per game (2.8 to 3.5) while shooting a career-high 51% from the field and 40% from 3. Compared to last season, Deni has improved his field goal percentage by 6% and 3-point percentage by 10% while yes, he has started every game, Avdija has only gotten half a minute more playing time this season, showing that he has been able to improve heavily while getting around the same playing time as last year.
Another bright spot so far for the Wizards this season has been their rookie Bilal Coulibaly. Coulibaly was the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft coming from the Metropolitans 92 from France. He was the teammate of Victor Wembanyama, who became the first overall pick in the 2023 draft, and Bilal’s draft stock skyrocketed after his performance in the French League playoffs. Coulibaly was barely seen as a first-round pick before the postseason, but after the playoffs, he was seen as a top-20 pick in the draft, and people were still surprised at him being taken at seventh. Bilal was seen as a raw prospect coming into the league, with freakish athleticism while not being polished like some of the other prospects around his draft range. His defense was highly praised, but his outside shot was very concerning to draft experts and analysts. However, the beginning of the season for Coulibaly has been surprisingly good for his rookie-year expectations.
So far, Coulibaly has averaged 8.3 points per game (ninth amongst rookies), 3.6 rebounds per game (tenth amongst rookies), 0.8 blocks per game (fifth amongst rookies and second amongst non-centers), and 0.9 steals per game (fourth amongst rookies). Bilal has also shot 50% from the field (fifth amongst rookies) and a scorching hot 44% from 3, which is second amongst all rookies while taking double the amount of threes number one is. Even more impressive, he is putting up all of these stats with only starting one game. Bilal’s career game so far has been against the Brooklyn Nets, where he had 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and four steals, while shooting 67% from the field and 57% from 3, doing this while coming off of the bench.
The Washington Wizards season has begun and it is already looking rough, with their record and Jordan Poole’s play being primarily the reason for Wizards fans’ disappointment in the team; however, the development of 4th-year player Deni Avdija and rookie Bilal Coulibaly has been major highlights for the team. Let’s see if the Wizards and Jordan Poole can make major comebacks while Deni Avdija and Bilal Coulibaly maintain their great play for the rest of the season.
