Top 2016 Offseason Priorities for the Washington Wizards

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After failing to thrive in the improved Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards ^[1] missed out on the postseason, concluding with a mediocre 41-41 record.

Sweeping the Toronto Raptors ^[2] during last year's playoffs, then winning two games against the Atlanta Hawks ^[3] in the conference semifinals, made the future seem bright.

The plan was clear: build on a successful 2014-15 campaign, continue to threaten in the playoffs and ultimately showcase enough to entice Kevin Durant ^[4] this summer. That scenario seems even more far-fetched than it was a year ago, and it puts Washington in a pickle.

Injuries ravaged the roster, even though John Wall ^[5] single-handedly kept the team afloat with excellent individual play. The front office now owes it to its star to put a competitive roster around him, and it must navigate through a lot of difficult offseason decisions to get there.

Already Complete: Hire a Head Coach

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Randy Wittman's reign ran its course, as Washington opted to part ways ^[6] with its former head coach. An efficient dog sled requires a competent musher, especially one who sees eye-to-eye with the lead dog, and he simply wasn't getting the job done anymore.

It's a vacancy the front office filled quickly, signing Scott Brooks to a five-year, $35 million deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski ^[7] of The Vertical.

Brooks has his flaws. His tactical acumen, or lack thereof, was frequently ^[8] criticized by the media, and he was never great at making in-game adjustments. He relied on his superstars to carry a simplistic, isolation-heavy offense, which arguably limited the team's potential.

But he also accomplished a lot of positive things.

He managed to get plenty of postseason experience under his belt while in charge of the Oklahoma City Thunder ^[9]. He was well-liked by his players, and the calm demeanour played a big part in Russell Westbrook ^[10]'s and Kevin Durant's development. He should be able to establish a great relationship with Washington's core players, and emotional leadership shouldn't be brushed away.

Brooks was likely the best choice with Tom Thibodeau off the market (to the Minnesota Timberwolves ^[11]), and the Wizards' urgency to secure his signature was encouraging.

Establish an Identity

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The 2014-15 Wizards were an elite defensive team, an identity that was absent this year. Washington made an attempt to follow in the league's small-ball footsteps, actively downsizing its lineups to bolster a stagnant offense.

Even though the Wizards managed to bump up their offensive rating by 1.1, they ranked 19th in the category for a second straight year, according to ESPN's ^[12] Hollinger stats. Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post detailed ^[13] the failed experiment:

The pace-and-space offense led by Wall generates more scoring opportunities but also more turnovers, failing to offset the drop-off on defense. The Wizards' deviation from two traditional big men has not had the intended effect of better countering the perimeter-oriented strategy most of the league adopted before them.

This phenomenon isn't entirely uncommon—teams frequently try to adopt popular philosophies, even when the required personnel isn't there. Jared Dudley replaced Paul Pierce ^[14] as the team's designated stretch-4 early in the year, which garnered mixed results.

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The Wizards had efficient lineups, just not enough of them to sustain a steady offense. Opponents outscored Washington's most played group this season (Wall-Garrett Temple-Otto Porter Jr.-Dudley-Marcin Gortat) by a huge 3.1 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com ^[15]. Admittedly, that same group posted a whopping 7.6 net rating when Bradley Beal replaced Temple.

Meanwhile, Washington slipped to 14th in defensive rating, after being in the top five last year, according to ESPN ^[16]. Dudley called ^[17] out the team for its collective mental lapses and sloppy coverage early in the season, per Castillo, and things did get a little better. The addition of Markieff Morris helped, and the Wizards put up a 101.2 defensive rating post-All-Star break, which would've ranked in the top seven.

Injuries played a part, but Dudley's criticism wasn't unfounded—Washington simply wasn't putting in the effort early on. That can't happen entering 2016-17.

Give Up the Kevin Durant Dream

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Practically everything the Wizards did last summer (or rather, didn't do) revolved around one thing: maintaining cap flexibility to have a shot at landing Durant. Beal's extension was postponed, and Washington general manager Ernie Grunfeld passed on quality free agents, something Ben Becker ^[18] of Bullets Forever was critical of.

"Ernie Grunfeld's front office has made a series of bad bets while skipping out on good ones such that the Wizards now find themselves short-stacked, " Becker wrote. "Grunfeld's refusal to acquire players with contracts that extend beyond this season has been painfully unwise."

Washington filled out the roster with several placeholders, forgetting that the most important factor in pursuit of Durant would be winning. The Brooks hiring suggests that KD is still in the crosshairs, but his presence won't make a difference, per Wojnarowski ^[19].

"Washington will be pursuing D.C-area native Kevin Durant in free agency, but the Wizards remain a long shot in his recruitment," Wojnarowski wrote, "and Brooks' hire isn't expected to have a significant impact on Durant's ultimate decision-making process, league sources said."

Let's just put it this way: If Kevin Durant wanted to play for Scott Brooks, he'd still be the coach of the Thunder.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 21, 2016 ^[20]

The Wizards convinced themselves the lure of playing in his home town would be too tempting to resist for Durant, when the notion itself might be a detriment to any potential pitch. Superstars deal with enough pressure, and playing in front of family and friends only introduces more of it.

There are plenty of talented wings who could help the Wizards: Nicolas Batum, Chandler Parsons and Harrison Barnes (restricted free agent). Most teams will have the cap space to pursue those guys. If Washington patiently awaits a Durant decision, it could miss out on an entire free-agent class and be forced to settle for breadcrumbs.

Figure Out Bradley Beal's Free Agency

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Beal and the Wizards mutually agreed to end contract negotiations last summer, with the shooting guard wanting ^[21] a max deal and the team not willing to offer one. Postponing the dilemma is no longer an option, as he now enters restricted free agency.

On one hand, Beal is still just 22 and already one of the most versatile 2-guards in the league. He has a sweet shooting stroke, has grown as a playmaker and could be a future All-Star. On the flip side, he has missed 81 games—almost an entire season—since being drafted third overall in 2012.

Beal shifted back and forth between starting and a bench role, after a recurring ^[22] stress injury sidelined him in December. Wittman used his shooting ace cautiously by capping his minutes, which may continue to be the case.

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"Probably, especially with the way my body works," Beal said about playing under a minute limit, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com ^[23]. "It doesn't want to listen to me, so I got to as much as I can take care of it, be smart about it moving forward through the rest of my career that's probably something that's going to happen every year."

That's not an encouraging proposition coming from such a crucial cog, especially one in line to make a lot of money. If Grunfeld doesn't offer Beal a max extension, chances are another team with cap space will roll the dice and force Washington's hand early.

The Wizards will be able to match any offer sheet he potentially signs. It's risky to give Beal the max, but letting him walk for nothing is hardly an option.

Find a Backup Point Guard

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With Wall resting, opponents outscored Washington by four points per 100 possessions, the worst mark on the team, per NBA.com ^[24]. The 100.4 offensive rating without him would have ranked 27th in the league. The team desperately needs a competent backup point guard, and Ramon Sessions just isn't going to get it done.

Beal has improved his pick-and-roll play and could help, but he excels as a secondary ball-handler, and Brooks would have to stagger his minutes with Wall's.

There should be plenty of affordable options available. Jeremy Lin has done a great job for the Charlotte Hornets ^[25], Matthew Dellavedova is a two-way hustling maniac, Ish Smith is a crafty rim attacker and Mo Williams is an adaptable, seasoned veteran. Then there are the reclamation projects who should be cheap—Brandon Jennings ^[26], Ty Lawson ^[27] and Mario Chalmers (out with torn Achilles tendon).

The Wizards don't need much—just someone to hold down the fort for 15 to 20 minutes per game. Heck, even an ancient Andre Miller was sufficient in 2014-15.

All statistics are courtesy of NBA ^[28].com, unless otherwise noted.

You can follow me on Twitter: @VytisLasaitis ^[29]