Entering the offseason, fans around the league, especially fans of the Washington Wizards were extremely optimistic about what general manager Will Dawkins was building in the DMV.
The optimism only grew this offseason with several intriguing additions headlined by the likes of Tre Johnson, Will Riley and Cam Whitmore.
Not to mention the veteran acquisition of CJ McCollum, who many felt would be the leader to help the young core take the next steps forward.
However, the optimism about the potential stride of the young core entering this season was countered by the pessimism surrounding Bilal Coulibaly's showing during his time with Team France in FIBA EuroBasket play.