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Washington Wizards
Overall: 93
Title track: 117
Ownership: 77
Coaching: 94
Players: 86
Fan relations: 96
Affordability: 74
Stadium experience: 103
Bang for the buck: 60
Change from last year: -30
A notable increase in prices, major drop-off in performance and lack of talent acquisition dropped the Wizards 30 spots in this year's rankings. Improvements might be on the way, but right now, the Wizards are trending downward -- even in their best areas.
What's good
Washington's tickets still beat the average cost of an NBA game, but the cost of attendance rose 36 percent over the past year, more than that of any team other than the Golden State Warriors. The main difference between the two, of course, is that the Warriors win pretty reliably. The price hikes by the Wizards have pushed them down 33 spots in bang for the buck, but the franchise is still among the top half of the NBA and across pro sports in that category (60th overall). That said, this is a young team with good guard play, and it is still a (relatively) good buy.
What's bad
They're young, they didn't grab much talent this offseason, and they have one of their top players, John Wall, coming off surgery on both knees. That isn't a recipe for winning now, and the Wizards' title track (117th) reflects that. Washington hasn't invested much in the Verizon Center recently, either, though it's preparing to open a new practice facility with Events DC. The lack of innovation pushed the Wizards' stadium experience rank down (103rd overall, fourth-worst in the NBA). Much like the team roster, the stadium and facilities remain stagnant. In fact, the franchise tumbled in the rankings in all but one category: coaching.
What's new
Team owner Ted Leonsis brought in former Thunder coach Scott Brooks, which led to that 11-spot bump in coaching. But fan trust in Leonsis and the rest of the front office has dipped after a disappointing 2015-16 season (down 26 spots to 77th). What's more, not only did the team miss out on Kevin Durant -- a D.C. native who played for Brooks in Oklahoma City -- but they also weren't even in the picture as his decision neared. Nabbing Durant in free agency would have pushed Washington way up the player rankings. Missing out on him, plus a lateral move in signing Utah guard Trey Burke, puts the roster back quite a bit -- 29 spots, to be exact.
Next: Chicago Bulls | Full rankings