Washington Wizards: Why the Wizards will go .500 from here on out

Photo Credit: Geoff Livingston, Flickr.com

The Washington Wizards stand at 13-35, last in the Southeast Division. They have 34 games left in the season. Surprisingly, the Wizards can go .500 from here on out for a number of reasons.

For starters, their schedule is manageable. They face teams who are well out of the playoffs more often than they do contending teams. Among the teams out of the race the Wizards will face are the Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors and Minnesota Timberwolves. Those teams face the same struggles as the Wizards. They’re overwhelmed by their respective division rivals and have virtually no chance in making the playoffs.

The Wizards will still have to face top contenders, including the Miami Heat, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. They’ll also have two games in April against the Chicago Bulls. The Wizards can play the spoiler and beat a few of the contenders. Plus, some teams could rest their stars for the playoffs. Washington could have a great chance for some upsets.

Another factor why the Wizards will have a .500 record for the rest of the season is their play. Though, they lost by 10 to San Antonio in Saturday’s 96-86 contest, it’s the third time they’ve scored 80 or more points in a game. It’s also the fourth time they’ve held their opponents under 100 points. Not too shabby for a team who’s likely to get a high draft pick.

The Wizards also won two straight home games against top contenders. They defeated a short-handed Los Angeles Clippers team on Monday and the Knicks on Wednesday. They’ve won six of their last seven games at home.

Washington also has a good young roster. If John Wall and Emeka Okafor can play like their old college days, they can make the Wizards rise from mediocrity. Veteran players like Trevor Ariza and Nene should step up as leaders of the group. This team should be hungry enough to finish strong. If they can, they’ll have a .500 record for the rest of the season.

The Wizards can win games and go .500 from here on out. Fans and teams shouldn’t sleep on them.

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