Washington Wizards: 2017-18 NBA season preview

Best-case scenario

The best-case scenario for the Washington Wizards puts them squarely in the hunt for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. They may not be able to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in a seven-game series, but they’d certainly give them a run for their money (on paper anyways).

The Wizards pushed the Cavs to overtime in the last regular season, losing 140-135 in the end. With Cleveland’s new look comes new advantages for the Wizards. It’s hard to argue that a Wall-Beal duo is a weaker force than Isaiah Thomas and Dwayne Wade.

Washington still has to worry about the Boston Celtics, but without Kelly Olynyk (the Wizards’ kryptonite), this could be Cleveland’s main challenge out East. The Celtics lost their top two defenders in Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley, making Beal and Wall a difficult force to be reckoned with.

The Wizards were one or two players away from the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016-17. This season, they could very find themselves in a similar position, but this time it will be to their advantage.

Worst-case scenario

If the Washington Wizards find themselves outside of the top four teams in the East, consider the season a debacle. The Wizards are already limping their way into the 2017-18 season, so they’ll need the overall health of the team to improve if they want to be successful this season.

Injuries kept center Ian Mahinmi on the sideline for much of the 2016-17 season and it showed as the Wizards lacked depth on the interior once Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris were out of the game. So far, Sheldon Mac has been lost for 6-8 months due to a torn Achilles’ and Morris is set to miss 6-8 weeks after having surgery on a sports hernia.

It’s paramount that the Wizards remain healthy in 2017-18 or their season could unravel in a hurry. Their starting five is still intact but their second unit will need time to jell or another 6-11 start could be on the horizon.