Legendary sports journalist calls for NBA Eastern Conference franchise to consider tanking - "The franchise, as the kids say, is mid"

The Washington Wizards (33-41) are 11th in the Eastern Conference standings and are among the teams in the NBA that have struggled to find a consistent rhythm this season, having only won 3 of their last 10 games.

The roster was reworked prior to the start of the season but has been changed up again with the hope of moving in the right direction. With only a few games left in the regular season, it's shaping up to be another year of disappointment for the Wizards.

David Alridge from the Athletic, made an article about the current state of the Washington Wizards and said this:

"The franchise, as the kids say, is mid," Aldridge said.

The Wizards' current roster of Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Kuzma, Kendrick Nunn, Monte Morris, Delon Wright, Daniel Gafford and Deni Avdija are not enough to make some noise in the regular season, or especially in the NBA Playoffs.

According to David Aldridge, the Washington Wizards should look into tanking similar to other NBA teams like the Houston Rockets (18-56), the San Antonio Spurs (19-55), and even the Utah Jazz (35-39).

With a close battle on to secure a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament between the Miami Heat (40-35), the Atlanta Hawks (37-37), the Toronto Raptors (36-38), and the Chicago Bulls (35-38), it will be interesting to see if the Wizards somehow end up with a spot in the Play-In.

But as of now, the organization has a lot to work around regarding the direction of the franchise in the offseason. After being spoiled with NBA Playoffs appearances during the John Wall era and a brief Russell Westbrook season, the Washington Wizards are stuck in not getting over the hump.

With top prospects in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft between Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, it's time for the Wizards to consider getting into tanking early next season to build around a new young player moving on as the face of the franchise.

The Washington Wizards: one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA

The Washington Wizards were considered one of the best teams in the NBA with a legit shot at competing for an NBA championship back in 2017. They had two All-Stars in John Wall and Bradley Beal, along with a deep roster of Markieff Morris, Otto Porter Jr., Kelly Oubre Jr., Marcin Gortat, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Danuel House Jr., as the team finished 4th in the Eastern Conference.

The team ended up going 7 games against the Boston Celtics but ultimately went home in the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

During the following NBA season, John Wall signed a four-year, $170 million contract extension, establishing the fact that he was the face of the franchise moving forward.

However, Wall experienced numerous injuries in the 2017-18 season that kept him sidelined for most of the season until being shut down in December 29, 2018.

On December 2, 2020, the Washington Wizards traded John Wall to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Russell Westbrook. The franchise wanted to build around the dynamic duo of Westbrook and Beal moving forward, but with just one season under their belt, the Wizards traded Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and the No. 22 overall pick.

Since then, the Washington Wizards have struggled to secure a playoff spot with Bradley Beal as the face of the franchise.