After a surprising 2013-2014 campaign, the Washington Wizards have retooled and are ready to take over the Eastern Conference. After giving the Indiana Pacers all they could handle in the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs, the young Wizards are poised to make a run at the top of the conference.
Losing costless-agent Trevor Ariza to Houston was a big blow to this team, but the Wizards bounced back quickly, signing both Kris Humphries and Paul Pierce to fill the void. In Humphries the Wizards get a solid player who is coming off a strong end-of-the-season performance. The 36-year-old Pierce will turn 37 in October, but he was one of the biggest reasons why his Brooklyn Nets even made it to the playoffs last season. Along with re-signing center Marcin Gortat, the Wizards seem to be locked in on winning now.
With many superstars deciding to spread out during this offseason, the East may be a little tougher to navigate, especially with some touch-ups made by the Chicago Bulls. However, even with LeBron James back in his home town, the most complete team that is ready to take the next step is this Wizards team. Bradley Beal and John Wall are going to build off of their impressive playoff performances, and no one in the league can seem to stop this young, explosive backcourt. Come next summer the Washington Wizards could easily be sitting on top of the East, crowned as kings.