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Washington Wizards: Their Best Season Yet?

By Brenton Lillie

Dec 10, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA;Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) talks with guard Bradley Beal (3) against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Washington Wizards defeated the Orlando Magic 91-89. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA;Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) talks with guard Bradley Beal (3) against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Washington Wizards defeated the Orlando Magic 91-89. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Washington Wizards are currently on pace to win 54 or 55 games, finish in the top three in the Eastern Conference, and draw a bad Miami Heat or Milwaukee Bucks team in the first round.

There is a chance that this might be the best Wizards’ season since the 1978-79 season, a year they lost in the NBA Finals. That year, and the year before when they won the NBA championship, are the best years in the franchise’s history.

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Until now…?

Those were good teams, but let’s face the facts. The NBA in 1979 was not what it is today. The game has grown. Players are bigger, faster, and more athletic. The popularity of the NBA has skyrocketed. It is good to appreciate the past, but in the modern era, the Wizards have mostly been pretenders, not contenders.

Is This Year Different?

Some things are different. John Wall is an All-Star starter. No player has started an All-Star game since Elvin Hayes did it in back-to-back years in 1975 and 1976. Not Gilbert Arenas. Not Moses Malone. Not even Michael Jordan. Forty years without an All-Star starter, until now.

Wall is having a good season, but it was not his stats alone that got him into the game as a starter. Wall is on one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. A team with a legit chance to win the east and get to the NBA Finals. This is not Gilbert Arenas chucking his way into stardom. Wall has good to great players around him. Wall even admitted after the final results were announced, via the Washington Post:

"“’It’s going in the right steps,’ the 24-year-old Wall said in a telephone interview after the results were announced. ‘There’s still a lot more love and respect I can get. But like me and Coach [Randy Wittman] talked about last year, you only get to those situations, those places when you’re winning. So it’s a big honor for me and my teammates and coaches. I appreciate the fans a whole lot for voting me in as a starter.’”"

Bradley Beal is one of the NBA’s rising young stars. Marcin Gortat and Nene form one of the best front lines in the league. The Washington Wizards currently rank third in the NBA in field goal percentage, according to Basketball-Reference.com. They are fifth in the NBA in opponent’s field goal percentage.

This team plays both ways, and does so at a very high level. This is not just playoff fodder for the eventual champion. This is a legitimate championship contender. The teams standing in the way are vulnerable. The Atlanta Hawks are untested. The Miami Heat, minus LeBron James, have fallen apart. James’ new team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, have had a turbulent season.

The Toronto Raptors have suspect defense, winning with offense and pace. Those kinds of teams have historically been unable to succeed in the playoffs.

Are They One Piece Away?

The starting lineup is good enough, right now, to compete for a championship. The bench, however, might need an upgrade. Andre Miller, Drew Gooden, Kris Humphries, Martel Webster, and Rasual Butler…that is your second unit?

Those five would have trouble winning a five-on-five tournament with Hollywood celebrities. Butler, Gooden and Miller practically need a walker just to get to the court. Webster is perennially injured and perennially disappointing. Otto Porter has not lived up to his draft selection, and Kevin Seraphin should be playing in the D-League.

Kris Humphries brings energy, but he is a poor shooter who struggles on defense. Even within three feet of the rim, Humphries only shoots 60 percent, which is terrible for a big man.

The starting five is 11.2 points better than the opposing starting five. That is a great number, rivaling what the Golden State Warriors have done so far this year. However, the all bench unit that has played the most minutes this year (Andre Miller, Rasual Butler, Otto Porter, Kris Humphries, Kevin Seraphin) is -2.4 points.

In fact, any time you get both Nene and Gortat off the court at the same time, the Wizards struggle. Washington could really use a quality third big man. There are some guys who might be available without giving up much, like Luis Scola of the Indiana Pacers or Brandon Bass of the Boston Celtics.

If the Wizards could get one of those guys, or someone of similar quality to come off the bench, they would have an even greater chance of emerging from the East.

Next: NBA: 50 Greatest Players Of All Time

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