The 2007-08 season may ring a bell for Washington Wizards fans. It is the last time this franchise went to the playoffs. Since then the Wizards have put together a record of 117-277. There has not been a whole lot, if anything, to get excited about. In between that time, former star Gilbert Arenas brought guns into the locker room, they drafted a player in Jan Vesely who is most known for kissing his girlfriend on draft night (never a good sign as your biggest moment as a pro), sixth overall in the 2011 draft and franchise player John Wall has been hindered by injuries and missed time in all three of his seasons thus far.
So, why will this season be any different? Why should Wizards fans be excited about the 2013-14 campaign?
It all starts with guy they made their franchise player this offseason John Wall. No Wizards player since Gilbert Arenas has generated as much buzz in the offseason as Wall has. He is extremely talented and will lead this team to many wins. Besides that though, he is as exciting and explosive as any player in the NBA. He has a chance to be an All-Star this year and will have Wizards fans on their feet throughout the season. When he is healthy and gets going, his ability to dominate the game in all facets is alone enough to have people excited. He was one of the best point guards in the league last year after the All-Star break. Take his 47-point, eight-assist, seven-rebound performance last year against Memphis, for example, in which he was the best player on the floor and led the Wizards to a victory against one of the best teams in the loaded Western Conference. There is a good chance that will be a recurring theme this season.
John Wall alone should be enough to be excited about the upcoming Wizards season. However, a player paired up next to him in the backcourt could be the start of something special.
From their rookie year to their second year, players often make a huge leap in their play. They have a full year under their belt, a full year of legit NBA workouts and have adjusted to the speed of the NBA game. Last year’s No. 3 overall pick showed great promise alongside Wall last season and has the potential to make Washington’s backcourt one of the best in the league. As a rookie, Bradley Beal averaged 13.9 points per game while shooting 38.6 percent from the 3-point line, playing around 31 minutes per game. Beal will be called upon to play more minutes and a bigger role this year for coach Randy Wittman and the Wizards, which will allow him to have the chance to make that leap as a player. Basketball-Reference has projected Beal’s per-36 scoring average to be 16.5 points per game. He is going to see at least 36 minutes per game and with a healthy John Wall (knock on wood) his numbers will only get better.
Wall and Beal can be very good together. This is only the beginning of the franchise backcourt that will only continue to get better. Wall’s ability drive the lane and find open shooters makes them hard to defend. If you help off Beal, Wall is going to find him for open shots all day long. Beal shot the ball solid from the three-point line last season, but with a whole year of work under his belt from the NBA three-point distance, I would imagine Beal’s percentage to go up. If Beal is killing a team from deep they may have to stick to him allowing Wall to get to the basket and score because very few guards can stay in front of Wall one-on-one. Beal has also looked to create more off the dribble in preseason and could be a nice added dimension to his game. The potential for this backcourt is enormous.
These two young players will man the backcourt in the nation’s capital for years to come. They are dynamic players that mesh well together. The past may have not been the greatest of times to be a Wizards fan, but these two young players will have fans rejuvenated and excited about the future in D.C.