Most Wizards fans would like Miller to be drafted if available

Mar 25, 2023 - 5:00 PM

Thank you for your responses to this week’s SB Nation Reacts survey. Our Washington Wizards survey results are below.

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85 percent of Wizards fans lack confidence in team direction

SB Nation

Last week, a combined 77 percent of survey respondents gave 1s and 2s in how confident they are in the Wizards’ team direction . This year, it’s a combined 85 percent out of over 200 responses that we get weekly. Sixty-five percent of them are giving 1s, which means that they lack confidence altogether. Only 10 percent gave 3s and are content or neutral in the team’s direction.

I like sharing the responses on why fans are or aren’t confident in the direction of the team. Five percent gave 4s and 5s, and here is why they feel that way. After reading the responses, I feel that the 4s and 5s are in support of the team looking to “tank” now that a playoff spot looks increasingly out of reach.

• “They are finally tanking! Chris Miller mentioned starting to play ‘developmental players’ soon. So you know that’s an approved line coming from the Wiz front office! Hooray!!!”
• “They appear to be winding down and trying to move onto the next season. I don’t think anyone here expected the Wizards to miss out on the play-in games and because of that there will be some change.”
• “I’m confident that they’re tanking. Nobody’s told them that’s what they’re doing, but they’re doing it anyway. And what a great job they’re doing, too!”

In short, I didn’t see anyone writing a Pollyannaish response like “Wes Unseld, Jr. is next year’s Coach of the Year,” etc.

Also, why are fans NOT confident in the Wizards’ direction? After all, they are losing more games than they’re winning despite trying NOT to tank:

• “We should have just tanked, we tried winning & still racked up the L’s. I’d rather the organization be on either the high end or low end of the spectrum in the standings, yet we’re stuck at mediocre at best. But I still love the Wizards regardless.”
• “Need to trade Beal and get a new owner who knows how to build a team.”
• “There is no direction for this team currently. We have Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma entering FA with their decisions to stay with the team is a question mark, and Beal is underperforming as a max contract player. We should’ve tanked sooner as we cannot compete with the higher-seed NBA teams who are consistent playoff contenders each year. We did nothing at the trade deadline with either Kuzma and Porzingis and they may walk. Our best bet is to hope for a top-3 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to either grab Wemby, Scoot, or Brandon Miller.”
• “Our GM and coach ain’t built for genuine player development!”

Most fans want the Wizards to draft Brandon Miller, despite his baggage

SB Nation

Yesterday, the Alabama men’s basketball team lost to San Diego State in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. All eyes will now go on the Crimson Tide’s star freshman, Brandon Miller. Will he go pro? In today’s era of NIL deals, that isn’t as easy of a question to answer, especially when he allegedly brought a gun to a former teammate, who then got the gun to another person to kill Jamea Jonea Harris, a single mother.

It is also important to note that according to Miller’s lawyer, Miller claims that he had no knowledge that a crime was going to happen, and that he never touched the gun. The gun belonged to the former teammate. Ultimately, that and his cooperation with local authorities is why he is not charged with a crime. Also, there is no state law that would make his actions a criminal offense.

We live in a world where perception is reality. It is truly possible that Miller knows nothing and just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But being in this situation could also give teams cause to pause should he declare for the NBA Draft. He is currently projected to be drafted at No. 2 according to NBADraft.net’s most recent mock.

The Wizards are a likely lottery team. And it’s possible that Miller could see his draft position drop due to the negative publicity. The team has signed players who have been the subject of negative publicity, like Andray Blatche and most notably, Gilbert Arenas. Most respondents (69 percent) believe that the Wizards should draft him if he were the best player available.

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Our national survey results will come out tomorrow!