Washington Wizards: Growing into Playoff Form

The Washington Wizards are venturing into uncharted territory as they try to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2006 season. This year’s team, lead by first-year All Star John Wall, has shown that it can beat some of the best teams in the NBA including the defending champion Miami Heat. However, regardless of their talent level, the Wizards, like most young teams, have still had a propensity to be inconsistent.

They are coming into tonight’s match up with the Memphis Grizzlies on a high, having won their past six contests and trying to match their longest winning streak since the 2005 season at 7 games. They are proving that they do belong in the playoffs. But the question of what they can achieve in the playoffs is still developing.  This team has every chance to prove to most naysayers that they can compete with the NBA’s best consistently.

The recent acquisition of NBA veteran big man, Drew Gooden, should provide depth and continued leadership in the wake of  losing forward Nene’ Hillario. Unfortunately, the Brazilian big man will be out for the next 5 weeks with a leg injury.  Should the Wizards make the playoffs, Nene’ should be ready.

With so much at stake, every game counts from here on out.  If the playoffs were to start tonight, the Wizards would be the fifth seed. But they are only two games out from becoming the third seed which would place them behind clearly the two best teams in the East: the defending champion Miami Heat and upstart Indiana Pacers. Not having to play either one of those teams until the conference semifinals of the Eastern Conference playoffs would be a big plus for Washington.

The next few games for the Wizards are games that they can win despite the fact that they’re playing two quality teams that play hard every night in the Grizzlies and the Utah Jazz.  If they want to catch the Chicago Bulls and the Toronto Raptors — and they just came off a triple overtime thriller against the Raptors — they need to play consistent basketball.

In other words, the Washington Wizards have already made the playoffs because every game from here on out should have a playoff feel to it and will be very important as far as seedings. In the past, when the Wizards have had an opportunity to make a statement, they have fallen flat.  Now however, everyone will find out whether or not they have learned from their past transgressions. They need to not use the “We are a young basketball team” excuse after setbacks but rather play like a young hungry team that knows their future is now.