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Why The Washington Wizards Will Make The Playoffs

By Justin Rowan

Mar 17, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) dribbles against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Washington Wizards won 99-94. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) dribbles against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Washington Wizards won 99-94. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 21, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks during the second half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Thunder win 110-103. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks during the second half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Thunder win 110-103. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Coaching

The Wizards are going to benefit from a large improvement on the bench next season. There may not be an active coach in the NBA that’s received more unfair criticism than Scott Brooks.

Yet when you look at his track record, there may not be a better coach for where Washington is in their development.

His time with the Oklahoma City Thunder was defined by constantly being the scapegoat for the Thunder not winning an NBA championship. When the reality was that the team was always dealing with some form of injury in the playoffs after their Finals appearance.

The Thunder also consistently benefited from their players improving from year to year. Russell Westbrook developed from a disappointing rookie into a legitimate top-five player; Serge Ibaka turned into one of the best defensive players in the league and added a three-point shot.

That development is the key thing to focus on when it comes to Scott Brooks and the Wizards. John Wall is a top point guard in the NBA and Bradley Beal and Otto Porter have shown flashes of brilliance.

If he can get them all to take another step forward in their careers, as he did in OKC and get Markieff Morris to have a bounce-back season, it seems possible that this team will fight for homecourt in the East.

Even if that doesn’t happen, the simple upgrade from Randy Wittman to Brooks should be enough to get them into the playoffs next season.

Next: The Roster Is Better

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