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Where the Wizards top players can improve to help their playoff chances

By Collin Loring

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 12: Bradley Beal #3 and Troy Brown Jr. #6 of the Washington Wizards celebrate after a play against the Utah Jazz during the game at Capital One Arena on January 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 12: Bradley Beal #3 and Troy Brown Jr. #6 of the Washington Wizards celebrate after a play against the Utah Jazz during the game at Capital One Arena on January 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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Washington Wizards (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
Washington Wizards (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /

If the Washington Wizards are going to make the playoffs, it’ll be up to three of their top players to focus on their weaknesses and not their strengths.

Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards still believe there’s hope for a playoff berth.

Yes, this season. The Wizards are 19-33, and 5-5 in their last 10. They’re the Eastern Conference’s ninth seed, and just three games back of the Orlando Magic, who sit eighth. According to FiveThirtyEight, they have a slim eight percent chance to get in, but that’s still a chance.

But they’ve got one of the NBA’s toughest remaining schedules, and can’t stay healthy.

While they do have plenty of winnable games on the schedule, the Washington Wizards will play 16 games against surefire playoff teams before the end of the 2019-2020 season.

Washington hasn’t fared well against teams above .500, with a 7-17 record in 24 such games. And even a few of the aforementioned “winnable games” will have their own conditions.

The Wizards will play six more games on the second night of a back-to-back, and only one of them is against a non-playoff team. This is exactly why Tankathon.com has Washington’s schedule as the 9th toughest remaining. And the rest of the field?

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The Orlando Magic have the second-easiest remaining stretch, though they’ve been known to be dramatically inconsistent at times. The 10th-seed Chicago Bulls have the next hardest schedule behind the Wizards, with arguably a more talented roster.

Luckily, the Magic are 2-8 in their last 10. And the Bulls, well, they’re still the Bulls.

If nothing else, this team has their work cut out for them in terms of a playoff push. And they’ll need all the help they can get, within the roster. We’ll focus on the three players who need to improve, and where they may have to improve if Washington has a chance at the postseason.

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