After finishing last season with an embarrassing 19-63 record, many experts predicted the Washington Wizards to be the most improved team in the NBA this season.
Through 10 games, the Wizards have not lived up to expectations. The team that Sports Illustrated predicted to finish fourth in the Eastern Conference is off to a 3-7 start, thanks in large part to something that the Wizards are all too familiar with: injuries.
The loss of Antawn Jamison to a shoulder injury in the preseason was a crushing blow to a team who has not been able to stay healthy the last 3 seasons. New additions Mike Miller and Randy Foye looked good in the first couple of games, but like Jamison, neither of them could avoid injury.
Observations/Thoughts about the Wizards through their first ten games:
-Gilbert Arenas is not fully recovered from the knee injury that limited him to 15 games over the past two years. He is scoring 23 points a game, but is shooting under 40% and leading the league in turnovers.
-Deshawn Stevenson should not shoot ever again.
-Mike Miller, on the other hand, needs be more aggressive on offense. He’s shooting almost 60% from the field, he just needs to look for his shot more.
-Mike Miller also needs to cut his hair and shave.
-Andary Blatche is much improved from last year, has found a jump shot, and is almost ready to be a big time scorer in this league.
-Caron Butler is settling for too many jump shots and doesn’t have the same tenacity on offense that he had last year.
-The return of Antawn Jamison will add a much needed. scorer to an offense that has struggled to find good shots so far this year.
-Earl Boykins is the man.
How far can the Wizards go this year?
As much as I love the Wizards, even I thought that Sports Illustrated’s preseason ranking of fourth in the Eastern Conference was a bit of a stretch. The Wizards are looking at a best case scenario: 7 or 8 seed in the playoffs and that’s only if they can stay healthy. If the Wizards continue to struggle, their bandwagon will continue to empty… LETS GO CAPS!
