As the Wizards Aim To Win More, Defensive Improvement is Crucial

When Michael Winger and Will Dawkins took over the Wizards' front office in 2023, they brought forth a long-term plan for competing. Defense was one of the main pillars they said would be part of their identity.

After three years of deconstructing, it hasn't always been easy to see that vision. 

Now, the team enters its reconstruction phase with a clear plan to be much more competitive in 2026. On paper, the roster is loaded with potential to take a massive jump. Can they make the postseason? Their defense will answer that question.

In 2025, the Wizards' 121.5 defensive rating was the worst in the league. In all three years of the rebuild, they've been a bottom-three defense. The Wizards didn't have aspirations for winning many games over the last three seasons, so the poor defensive numbers are no surprise to anyone.

It has no choice but to change in 2026. 

Despite poor team defensive numbers, the Wizards have made decisions with defense being in mind. The first draft pick of the regime was Bilal Coulibaly, who they took for his athleticism and defensive prowess. When healthy, he's revealed why the organization believes heavily in his ability on that end.

The following year, they drafted Alex Sarr second-overall. Sarr, a seven-footer, provides a unique blend of size and athleticism that allows him to provide versatility on defense. The first two years of his career have been encouraging defensively. He averaged two blocks per game last season and faced the heaviest workload in the league contesting shots at the rim.

Enter Anthony Davis -- a ten-time All-Star with three selections to the All-NBA Defensive First Team in his decorated career. If the plan is indeed for Davis to stick around for 2026, which appears to be the case based on everything the team has said publicly -- he'll be a major factor in their defensive transformation.

Despite constant rumors of trade packages to try and pry Davis out of Washington, the Wizards have shut it down consistently.

The Wizards rarely ever had multiple bigs on the floor last season. That combination alone will be benefit Sarr greatly. There's also some data that indicates that Davis paired with another big leads to better team defense.

In limited action with Dallas, the team posted a 104 defensive rating when Davis and Dereck Lively II shared the floor together. Davis has always benefited sharing the floor with another big.

Also, with Trae Young on the floor, building up an infrastructure behind him is vital to Washington's success on that end. The team has stacked the roster full of long, athletic talent, hoping they can bridge some of the deficiencies Young may provide on defense.

The correlation between team defense and playoff basketball is strong. Last year, every team in the top half of the league in defensive rating made the postseason. 13 of those 15 made it to a playoff series.

Washington has preached its defense being a focus for a while, so it's time to see if its ready to make that part of its identity.