HOOPSAHOLIC

It wasn't too long ago when the Wizards were the laughing stock of the NBA. The curse of Kwame Brown haunted this team, and going into last year no one believed the Wizards would make a lot of noise. Suprisingly enough, Washington made it to the playoffs, and actually made it to the second round before getting bounced. This season, expectations are held high in the nation's captial, and Randy Wittman's squad will look to improve on the positive season last year. 

This team will look for John Wall to lead the way on this Wizards squad. He's become one of the top point guards in the leauge while having the swag to go along with it. The former number one pick out of Kentucky averaged 19 points and nine assists last year, and I don't think he's anywhere close to his ceiling. Wall is very athletic at his position and has done an awesome job of finding his teammates in recent years. I expect even bigger things from Wall this season. 

Wall's wing-man this season will be Bradley Beal. The two guards make up arguably the best back court in the league, and the two score first players have no problem lighting up a score board. Last year Beal averaged 17 points and shot 40% from behind the arc. This year, Beal will miss the first six weeks of the season with a wrist injury, but when he returns I expect his scoring average to increase from what it was last season. His ability to shoot spreads the floor for the Wizards and allows Wall to drive and kick or dump it down to the big men in the post. 

Washington will have two very good post players on the block who will be matchup problems for other teams. Both Marcin Gortat and Nene are both scoring threats while both are great rebounders as well. Gortat averaged 19 points and ten rebounds last season while Nene averaged 14 points and 5.5 rebounds. They bring bulk and toughness to this lineup, and both of them fit in nicely in Wittman's offense. 

The addition of Paul Pierce in the offseason should pay off big time for the Wizards. They brought him in to fill the void Trevor Ariza left when he bounced for Houston, and Pierce should fit in nicely. He will bring veteran leadership to a young Washington team that needs some guidance. Pierce isn't the scorer he once was, but he can still get the job done on a nightly basis. His professionalism will rub off on players such as Wall and Beal which will pay dividends in the long run, not just while Pierce is on roster. 

I project the Wizards to finish third in the Eastern Conference and will have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Washington may get off to a slow start because of the Beal injury, but ultimately I see them coming together and making another playoff run. This isn't a team I would want to play when May rolls around.