Perhaps no team in the league worked harder this summer than the Washington Wizards at washing away the residue of last season. And with that done, the team now looks to build toward long-term success.
   That will be the theme today when the Wizards open training camp. Players with three-years-or-less experience begin two-a-days here at the College of Charleston.
   "You have to think that you are good enough to make the playoffs," said new point guard Gilbert Arenas, who will be one of 14 players present when workouts begin at 10 a.m. "At the same time we've got a lot of young guys who are going to get better. We're going to have to keep improving."
   Former coach Doug Collins, fired over the summer and replaced by Eddie Jordan, spent his tenure preaching the importance of cultivating a young nucleus of players. And, at the same time, Collins wanted the Wizards to be a playoff contender, which they were until the last week of the season that ended 37-45.
   When the veterans ? players with four years experience or more ? join the younger players Thursday, the aged Michael Jordan and Charles Oakley will not be part of the mix. And neither will Bryon Russell, another 30-something player, who opted out of the final year of his contract.
   As a result, forward Christian Laettner and point guard Chris Whitney will be the only players in camp older than 30 with guaranteed contracts. Of the players expected to make the roster for the upcoming season, nine are 24 or younger.