
After finishing dead last in updated power rankings, ESPN looks at the biggest question at the midseason check-in:
How much does Trae Young play? Despite a recent stretch of decent play, the Wizards are still nearly assured of finishing with a strong lottery position -- and of retaining their top-eight-protected draft pick. ESPN's Basketball Power Index projects Washington to finish with the NBA's worst record. So the team's biggest question, instead, is how much its new star acquisition plays as he works his way back from injury, and whether he can start to jell with his young teammates before the 2026-27 season.