The Wizards continue to say the quiet part out loud in regards to last season: Yes, we were tanking.
“We haven’t been told to be the best version of ourselves,” Wizards guard Bub Carrington said in an interview with WUSA9 on Monday at the team’s media day, in a clip that began circulating more prominently later in the week. “We were held back because we were trying to get AJ Dybantsa. That’s no secret.”
It was indeed no secret.
The Wizards were 3-26 after the All-Star break to finish with the league’s worst record of 17-65. But the Wizards’ efforts paid off. After getting the good fortune of winning the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft lottery, the team selected Dybantsa, the top prospect in what is considered one of the deepest drafts in years.
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That’s not to say that the team was openly discussing its attempt to tank, even if it was obvious to anyone paying attention, which is why Carrington’s quotes got plenty of attention on social media. However, The Athletic reported that Carrington will not be disciplined for his comments.
The team’s efforts, or lack thereof, along with those of several others, led NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to introduce new anti-tanking measures that further flatten the lottery odds and punish teams for being in the bottom of the league’s standings.
Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said at his preseason availability that the rule change’s timing coincided with the team’s pivot to be more competitive, which worked out to their advantage.
“I think we were fortunate when we first got here,” Dawkins said. “I talked about how we wanted to establish our foundation, kind of lay a plan to build. And it just kind of aligned with these last couple of drafts. After that, we wanted to start building a little bit, and the rules just kind of fell in our favor. So we were planning on being better before those rules, or trying to be better, more importantly trying to be in those competitive games.”
Carrington’s comments came the same day that Trae Young was asked about playing just five games for the Wizards last season after he came over in a midseason trade, and whether he might change his workout or conditioning in light of his lack of availability last season. Young responded by hinting that he may have been healthier at times than the injury report indicated.
“I’m not really changing too much up in terms of what I do in terms of taking care of my body,” Young said. “I feel like last year was one of those years. I’m actually very grateful for what happened last year because if we didn’t, we don’t necessarily have AJ Dybantsa.”
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