A Magnificent Wiz Presser

[Xist2Inspire]

*As usual, it's a packed house for the annual Wizards press conference. Say what you will about J2's (or Xist, nobody really knows what's going on there) tenure, there's always something to look forward to.*

*The lights dim, and out comes the man himself, looking rather downcast.*

So, here we are. Another season. First things off, I'd like to apologize to everyone in the room, and every Wizards fan watching this live on YouTube, Twitter, Twitch, or whatever fancy newfangled thing the kids in our social media division are broadcasting on. As you all surely know, we did not make the playoffs last season. That should not have happened. We were a playoff team, end of story. We did not make the playoffs because of me. My eye was on the draft from the beginning. I'm known for overthinking things to death and planning way too far ahead, and this was just one more example.

So I entered this offseason with the goal of making amends for last season. I wanted to reward the effort of guys like Kingston, Newman, and Johnson by surrounding them with talent that complements them and puts them in a position to compete. But in order to do that, I had to give up some things. I had to give up on my usual cap-conscious, wait-and-see approach. Fults, the not-so-great 1st that I'd focused too much on last season, and unfortunately Marsh all had to go. In their place came an All-Defensive talent in Kieth Robison, a savvy veteran in Aaron Pastor, and a new strategy/philosophy. With luck, this strategy will either see us contend for our first title in the near future, or it will set us up with an excellent core group of talent. There will be risk, of course...but even for someone as risk-averse as me, there comes a time to take one. So now, I present to you, your 2026-27 DC Wizards!

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Any questions?

[garbageman]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: If you had to pick one guy in a late game situation, down by 2 with less than 24 seconds, who gets the last shot?

[Xist2Inspire]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: If you had to pick one guy in a late game situation, down by 2 with less than 24 seconds, who gets the last shot?

Newman. He's a bonafide sniper from long-range. And if he does miss, if Ox or King get the rebound in time, well...they won't.

[Darth Vegito]

What happens if this team does not make the playoffs again? Can we expect and complete and total upheaval and rebuild?

[NickMalone77]

What do you think the difference was for JR Johnson after suffering that setback a few season ago in Utah to where he is now in DC and seen as one of the top point guards in the game?

[Xist2Inspire]

What happens if this team does not make the playoffs again? Can we expect and complete and total upheaval and rebuild?

Yes, though I'd say a drastic retooling is more likely than a full rebuild. A full rebuild is the bailout plan if all else fails.

What do you think the difference was for JR Johnson after suffering that setback a few season ago in Utah to where he is now in DC and seen as one of the top point guards in the game?

Honestly, I think it was a case of too much talent in Utah. That was a stacked roster, and it was pretty clear that JR wasn't a vital piece there. It was Kight and Gebhart's team. Here, he knows he has our full support, as well as having something to prove to the rest of the league. To be honest, we're thrilled to see him come into his own.

[kucoach7]

You have a lot of good players but do you think there is a low ceiling on this team because there is not a true star on the roster?

[digiskunk]

How effective do you feel that J.R. Johnson is as a leader and, furthermore, would you say he's the most important player on the team heading forward?

[Xist2Inspire]

You have a lot of good players but do you think there is a low ceiling on this team because there is not a true star on the roster?

No, I don't. The guys we have may not be household names, but they're all efficient, quailty players who know their role and do it well. If they're all on point, I don't see why we can't be a threat. As someone who's had a top 5 player once, solo superstars are overrated. Give me a solid 1-8 rotation over a stud and filler any day.

How effective do you feel that J.R. Johnson is as a leader and, furthermore, would you say he's the most important player on the team heading forward?

I'd say that JR's still growing into the role, he's still realizing that yes, we do want the ball in his hands as much as possible, even if he's not the one who ultimately ends up taking the shot. It's a learning process. For what his continued maturation means for our team and with the supposed lack of quality PGs currently, I would say that yes, he's one of the most important and valuable pieces we have.

[WigNosy]

What role do you see new acquisition Aaron Pastor having on this team?

[Xist2Inspire]

What role do you see new acquisition Aaron Pastor having on this team?

Tertiary scorer, primary bench scorer. Hopefully he can still keep up at the 2, because he'll be playing that as well as backup SF. He was originally penciled in as our starting 3 when we acquired him, but Fanelli's progression in training camp, performance in the offseason, and familiarity with our offense made us decide to give him the nod.