What went wrong with Wizards, and where to go from here

Coming into 2015-16, the Washington Wizards were expected by most to book a third straight trip to the playoffs. The modicum of success the franchise has enjoyed since 2013 - two straight trips to the Eastern Conference semis - may have come with a ceiling, but missing the postseason entirely wasn't on the radar of many.

Yet things went sideways in D.C. early. It started with injuries, something the team never recovered from. Through last week, the Wizards have lost 277 man games to injury, third-worst in the NBA. Only noted convalescence wards in Memphis and New Orleans have fared worse.

(Courtesy ManGamesLost.com)

The gifted Bradley Beal, who's still only played more than 70 games once in his four-year NBA career, again suffered the same stress reaction in his right leg that he dealt with last season. He also missed games due to pelvic and shoulder troubles. Other key players like Nene and Alan Anderson were on the shelf for significant periods, while John Wall played with issues in both knees. The Wizards' leader in games played through Saturday is Ramon Sessions.

Beyond bad luck in the injury department, coach Randy Wittman and company didn't necessarily do themselves any favors by opting to play a small-ball lineup to start the season. Statistically speaking, the Wizards haven't been terrible defensively - they're in the middle of the pack in points allowed per 100 possessions. In the trenches, however, it's a different story: Washington ranks 27th in rebounds per game and 25th in rebound percentage.

While some of that could be attributed to Nene's absence and earlier injuries to the likes of Drew Gooden and Kris Humphries, Wittman's heavy reliance on the small-ball frontcourt of Jared Dudley and Otto Porter ensured the Wiz would be consistently killed on the glass. The trade deadline acquisition of Markieff Morris helped a little once he was inserted into the starting lineup, but the team conversely lost something in the spacing department.

The disappointing season ends with many question marks for a franchise that, despite its large market, has been consistently unable to climb into the league's elite class since its heyday in the late 1970s. For a few years now, speculation has surrounded the possibility of Kevin Durant returning home to Washington this summer as a free agent.

Yet while KD will almost assuredly listen to the Wizards' pitch, is there enough in the capital to lure him home? While Wall is an elite player locked up on a favorable contract through 2019, Beal will become a restricted free agent in July, and despite his injury history will likely get a max extension. Parts like Porter, Morris, and Marcin Gortat are on the books for the next few seasons, although the Wizards will most likely forfeit their first-round pick to the Phoenix Suns.

Most of the blame seems to come back to the much-maligned Wittman and longtime general manager Ernie Grunfeld. It would be a surprise if both returned, especially given the franchise will be hoping to set a new stage for Durant.

Despite the injuries and questionable strategy, Beal still maintains the Wizards should have made the playoffs.

"We lost a lot of games we probably shouldn't have lost," the shooting guard told Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. "We took a lot of games for granted and it bit us in the rear end. We have nobody to blame but ourselves."