With the season nearing for the Washington Wizards, there are many fans wondering what will happen, how the team will do, and most importantly do they have enough talent to contend with the top teams in the league? The answer to those questions is very simple, yes. The Washington Wizards hushed up a lot of "outsiders" opinions on the squad as they came extremely close to advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Washington snapped a five year drought from the playoffs last season with the help of two young guards, John Wall and Bradley Beal. At 23-years-old John Wall played in and started all 82 games for the Wizards this past season. What does that mean? He accounted for 2,980 minutes, 579 field goals made, and a shooting percentage of 43 percent, and it did not stop there. When Wall went to the costless throw line he made 317-of-394 shots from the charity stripe, which is a 80 percent clip.
John Wall was not the only one that helped the Wizards. As mentioned earlier, they had this other young 21-year-old stud in Bradley Beal. Beal played in 76 games for the club last season, and he gathered just at 2,500 minutes. Beal's field goal percentage is just below Wall's at 41.9 percent.
However, with all the good mentioned, there is always a bad to mention. The bad for the Wizards is that Beal won't be with the club until November after he fractured his scaphoid bone in his left wrist last Friday.
"It is frustrating, but at the end of the day it is what it is," Beal told the media earlier in the week. If it would have been a ligament tear or anything else to do with the ligament, then Beal would have been out way longer than just six weeks. "It could have been a lot worse, if it was my ligament I could have been out 6-9 months," Beal said.
After winning an even number of 44 games last season, you can safely say the Wizards will not be sneaking up anyone this season at all. It will be hard times without their best two-guard Beal, but the team has high hopes for backups Otto Porter, Glen Rice, and Xavier Silas (if he makes roster). In fact, they should be smiling. Yes, they have lost Beal for some time, but there is one positive to take away from the remaining three guys - all are young, talented, and learn quickly.
Adding the veteran Paul Pierce should seal up the loss of Trevor Ariza (Houston Rockets) this offseason. Pierce signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the team this offseason. Pierce is a 10-time NBA All-Star. He did, however, say he would do whatever it took to help the team. "I will play any position needed to help this team win," Pierce said. Team President Ernie Grunfield was giving the upmost high praise on Pierce. "We are very happy to add Paul Pierce to our organization and his championship history of clutch play to our team," said Grunfield.
Even though Trevor Ariza left in costless agency to the Houston Rockets, the club managed to retrieve back big man Marcin Gortat. Marcin should add another key component to the Paul Pierce veteran leadership for the young fellas out in D.C. There is a lot to smile about if you are a Wizards fan. This team has come a very long way to get to where they are currently at, and the only direction they can go now is up. Well, there is always a chance to decline, but that most likely will not happen.
The Wizards should easily finish off winning right at 55 to 60 games this season, and that is even with Beal being out for six weeks with his injury. There are tons of great, young leaders on the squad and have been in the system for at least one year now.
Prediction: Washington Wizards (55-27) - 1st in Southeast Division.