The Washington Wizards are one of the up-and-coming franchises in the NBA. How can this team get even better in 2015? It will need to survive the end of 2014 first, with a tough November ahead.
What Went Wrong Last Season?
The Wizards didn’t have much to complain about last season. They not only made the playoffs for the first time in several years; they won a playoff series, something they hadn’t done since 2005 and had only done once (in 2005) since the 1981-’82 season. Washington should be very happy with the whole of its season. The next task is to move forward and not lose the gains made this past season.
The Wizards had a sensational backcourt to work with last year. John Wall is one of the fastest men in basketball, and his pure speed was finally matched with enough health and an evolving awareness of how to play the game. Wall came of age as a point guard, and that was the main reason Washington finally clicked on the court. Wall was accompanied by Brad Beal, one of the best three-point shooters in the league and a player who can stretch a defense. With Beal as a three-point shooting threat and Wall being a great passer who could work off the dribble, the Wizards were able to spread the court and keep defenses honest. With Nene Hilario and Marcin Gortat able to operate inside and occasionally hit medium-range jump shots, the Wizards had good inside-outside balance in their offense.
They could hit opponents in different ways from different angles. Their speed was better than most of the opponents they faced in the Eastern Conference, and when they got to the first round of the playoffs against the Chicago Bulls, it was clear that the Wizards were much fresher and had a lot more energy. They ran the Bulls into the ground, and more specifically, they had a lot more quickness in the fourth quarter of each game. The Bulls got tired and hit a wall. The Wizards just kept going and seemed to be the team that could continue to hustle for each loose ball on the court. The youth of this team worked to its advantage, and there was just enough experience and maturity to pull the Wizards through to the second round.
What went wrong for this team was a blown 17-point lead in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers. Washington didn’t handle pressure very well against Indiana, and the Pacers used their veteran wiles to win all three games of the series in Washington, ultimately advancing to the East Finals in six games. The Wizards’ newness to the playoffs was exposed. This season, that can’t be used as an excuse.
Offseason Changes
The big changes for the Wizards are both positive ones. Paul Pierce comes from the Brooklyn Nets, and DeJuan Blair comes from the Dallas Mavericks. Pierce will mentor the young players and be a guy who can hit tough shots under pressure when the playoffs arrive. Blair was part of a Dallas team that almost upset San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs. Blair got ejected for kicking a San Antonio player in that series. If he can restrain himself, Blair could really help out a Washington team that was 19th in the NBA in offensive rebounding last season, 20th in overall rebounding.
Projected Finish
The Wizards know that Beal will miss six weeks with a fractured wrist. That’s a very ominous sign. This team should still make the playoffs, but it might not win the Southeast Division. We’ll go with fifth place and a first-round playoff exit.
Pick: Fifth In The Eastern Conference
