About Washington Wizards

3/4/15: What is going on with the Washington Wizards these days? The team is among the better ones in the Eastern Conference and will have no problem getting into the playoffs, but losing five in a row with about six weeks left in the season is no way to get prepared for the playoffs. Perhaps the problem is those pesky road games. The Wizards are a lowly 13-15 away from home this season. That does not bode well for the playoffs where they are likely (if not assured) to get a lower seed and will have to win games away from DC if they are going to advance at all.

2/25/15: The Washington Wizards continue to hold steady with the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. They probably will not catch Chicago and Cleveland, who are battling for third and fourth, but have a comfortable margin on sixth seed Milwaukee. Then the cliff drops and the next team is Miami at seven games under .500. In short, the Wizards will make the playoffs with ease. The team did make a move at the trade deadline, trading away Andre Miller to the Sacramento Kings for Ramon Sessions. Not a huge deal, but it is an upgrade for the backup point guard position.

2/18/15: After years of collecting high draft picks and developing that raw talent into a winning team, the Wizards are looking to make their mark on playoffs this season. Point guard John Wall is the undisputed leader of the team and has held up his end of the bargain this season. But it is impossible for him to play every minute of every game - he needs a competent backup. Washington has shown interest in veteran point guard Jameer Nelson. He is 33 and with the Denver Nuggets these days, but could be that serviceable on-call man for the Wizards. He would likely be pretty inexpensive too, though the Miami Heat are said to be interested as well.

2/11/15: The Wizards finally had a chance to make up some ground on the Eastern leading Atlanta Hawks last week when the Hawks 19 game winning streak was snapped by the New Orleans Pelicans. However, the Wizards have been in a slump lately, going only 3-7 in their last 10 games. The Cleveland Cavaliers have been surging as well, winning 12 in a row before falling to the Pacers last Friday. That is putting the Wizard's third place seed in jeopardy, as well as home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. In other news, John Wall will be a highlight as one of the competitors in the Skills Challenge at this weekend's All Star Game.

2/5/15: The Washington Wizards are having a tough time making up any ground on the surprising Atlanta Hawks. Of course, it is impossible to gain on the leader when the leader wins 17 games in a row. But the Wizards have been impressive in their own right and reached 30 wins with relative ease already this season. Away from the standings, this season will be defined by how well the the Wizards do in the playoffs. They have been building this team for the past few years and are now ready to take on the top teams in the NBA. Additionally, a strong playoff run may be enough to convince hometown hero Kevin Durant that it is time to leave the Dust Bowl and come home to DC.

1/28/15: First, it was Jay-Z, then it was Drake, and now it could be Kanye West getting into the design of an NBA uniform. First things first. The Wizards employ musician D.C. native Wale as a 'creative liaison'. Wale is seeking input from West about a new design for the Wizards uniform. It would likely be an alternate jersey and shorts set, which is usually good for bumping up merchandise sales. Heck, it may be enough to bring Kevin Durant back to his hometown during the offseason, which is what everyone in D.C. wants at this moment.

1/21/15: This is the unofficial warning to Eastern Conference teams. Look out of the Washington Wizards. The Cleveland Cavaliers may be the media darlings because of LeBron James and 'all star' squad they have put together. The Chicago Bulls may have the pedigree and experience that champions need. And the Atlanta Hawks may just be the most talented team in the East. However, it is the Wizards that are flying under the radar and surprising everyone they meet. This is the culmination of developing a team, and there is no reason that the Wizards cannot take the East and shock the West in a few months.

1/14/15: Whatever has gotten into Atlanta this season is working and it is keeping the Washington Wizards from gaining any ground on them in the Southeast Division. Washington, after years of high draft picks and taking the long route to develop their players, finally has a team that is capable of winning the Eastern Conference, and they still may do so. However, the Hawks have been a force this season and are currently on a nine game winning streak. The Wizards can take comfort in the fact that they are among the few Eastern teams that can consistently beat Western competition, and that will be needed if they can make the finals.

1/7/15: The Washington Wizards organization has done a very nice job of putting together a home-grown team and finally getting competitive in the Eastern Conference. They do not get the publicity of other good teams like Chicago or Cleveland, nor do they get as much ink as terrible teams like the Knicks or 76ers. But flying under the radar may be good for them as they try to take the Southeast division lead away from Atlanta. They could get better in the future, too. Ty Lawson has reportedly spoken with Kevin Durant about returning to his hometown in 2016. A combo of Durant and John Wall would certainly make this team relevant and contenders.

2/21/13: The Wizards are said to have interest in acquiring 27 year old power forward Josh Smith from the Atlanta Hawks. Smith will be a free agent after this season and the Hawks do not believe he will re-sign. It does not help that Smith wants a max contract. However, the Wizards probably do not have the assets to acquire Smith. John Wall and Bradley Beale are untouchable, and the team took Nene off the table as well. Also, teams generally do not like to trade within the division, even if it is a short term rental, as this appears to be.

2/14/13: The Wizards are on a serious roll. After losing their first dozen or so games to start the season, the team has rebounded nicely to 15-35. While that record, on the surface, is nothing to be proud of, the fact of the matter is that they are an entirely different team when John Wall is in the line up. Nene has three straight double-doubles and the team is playing well with both Wall and Beale on the court together. The case could be made for John Wall for MVP - his absence earlier in the season showed his worth. Wiz fans should not hope for too much success. Since they are probably out of the playoff hunt, they need to cool off to get a higher draft pick.

1/17/13: No one will shout "Break up the Wizards!" anytime soon, but the team is playing their best ball of the year. The team has a two game winning streak (their longest of the season) after upsetting the Heat then putting away the Hawks, giving them six wins on the season. The bigger news is the return of John Wall. Wall scored 14 points in 21 minutes in his first game back from a knee injury. The team has the talent and leadership now, the only question is it too late to make a serious run at the playoffs. With a league-worst record, it may be better for the Wizards to ease Wall into the line up and get (another) lottery pick.

1/3/13: What a tough year for the Wizards. The team had visions of growing into a playoff caliber squad, anchored by John Wall and supported by Bradley Beale, Chris Singleton, and several others. But 30 games into the season and the team only has four wins on the season. The Wizards started the season with a 12 game losing streak, and have endured another 10 game losing streak as well. John Wall is still injured and the team is simply noncompetitive without him. The good news is that Washington fans are distracted by the Redskins, and by the time they do pay attention, the Wizards may have the first pick in the draft.

12/6/12: Break up the Wizards! After starting the season 0-12, the Wizards have won two of their last three games. The more startling victory was defeating the defending champion Miami Heat in front of an enthused crowd that included RG3. LeBron James notched a triple double, but the Wizards were just too much, at least on this night. Washington is now 2-13, and well behind the league leaders. Despite the good feelings from the upset win, there is still no time table for starting point guard John Wall to return from a knee injury - and that figures to hinder the team for the foreseeable future.

11/29/12: No one expected this out of Washington, and it may put John Wall in position to win the MVP. The Wizards have started 0-12 and have not really been competitive this year. The team desperately needs John Wall to return from injury (hopefully only a few more weeks). It does not get any easier after losing 118-92 to the Suns, as the next three games are against Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers, the New York Knicks, and the defending champion Miami Heat. The team could easily be 0-15 by week's end, and already out of the playoff race.

11/22/12: For a team with playoff aspirations, this is certainly not the way to get there. The Wizards are riding a ten game losing streak, that is, they are 0-10 to start the season. The latest setback was a 101-100 heartbreaking overtime loss in Atlanta. The Wizards played their most complete game of the season, moved the ball well, and got quality minutes from 11 players. Nene made his debut, which should help down the road, but right now this team needs John Wall to get healthy. Washington is in a big hole right now and it will take everything they have to claw their way into playoff contention over the next six months.

11/15/12: A few games into the season, and there was a lot of consternation about starting rookie Bradley Beal. Through two games, he seemed lost and only scored 10 points. Total. But the seventh youngest rookie to ever start a season is a quick learner. He put up 16 points in a loss to Boston, then 22 in a loss to Milwaukee. So, it appears the extra film session with the coaching staff is paying off. The good news is that Beal does not have to captain this ship. Its John Wall's team. He just needs to keep them within striking distance until Wall returns from injury. Then, this team has a chance to grow and make the playoffs this year.

11/8/12: Washington Wizard fans should have some hope for this season. There is a strong young core in place, and John Wall will be back in a month or so. But that is little consolation now, as the Wizards are 0-2 and Bradley Beal is struggling. Beal was the Wizards' first pick in the draft and is a starter. He is still adjusting to the NBA game while only averaging 5 points and shooting 15%. But he will improve - he is young, the seventh youngest to start in history - and the trial by fire approach will pay off down the road. So just be patient Wizards fans.

11/1/12: The Wizards opened their season at Cleveland with a 10 point loss to the lowly Cavaliers. Not exactly the way a team with playoff aspirations wanted to begin league play. The Wizards scored 14 straight points to take a 76-74 lead at the start of the fourth quarter, but stumbled down the stretch as the Cavs' Kyrie Irvin took controll of the game. John Wall is still out for a few more weeks, so the Wizards will continue to tinker with the line up, but they need to figure out something quickly, as they have a home-and-home series with Boston over the next week.

10/18/12: No. 3 overall pick Bradley Beal is making a strong case to be the Wizards starting shooting guard come opening night. In his first preseason game, he played 27 minutes and kicked in 18 points. Incumbant Jordan Crawford should be scared. But a team doesn't use the No. 3 pick to be a benchwarmer. At this point, Wizards fans should expect, even demand, to see Beal on the court. It will expedite his learning curve and make this team much better in the long run. And that is what the Wizards should be striving for anyway.

10/4/12: The Washington Wizards were already to make a big splash in the Southeastern Division. The Heat are still the kings, but the Bobcats are unwatchable, and the Magic may well be too. Unfortunately, John Wall's 'minor' knee injury has been upgraded to severe. Wall injured his patella, and is now expected to miss 8 weeks - or through Novemember. After that, he will need some time to get back into shape and trust his knee. This does not mean the Wizards are done though. If they can make it through the first month reasonably well, then they still have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.

8/16/12: Despite recent struggles, the Suns have a respectable history. The Charles Barkley/Kevin Johnson era got to the finals. The Steve Nash/A'mare Stoudamire era was very competitive and exciting. And now we are apparently entering the Jared Dudley/Jermain O'Neal era in the desert. Even for a team that inexplicably uses a gorilla as a macot (are gorillas prevalent in the desert? More so than cacti, scorpions, or snakes?), the Suns have been forgotten at a remarkable rate. The proof? The Suns are scheduled for only three nationally televised games next season, and one of those is Nash's return with Lakers.

8/2/12: History repeats itself in DC. James Singleton was acquired in a trade with Dallas two years ago and was a pleasant surprise - providing leadership and toughness to a team desparate for those characteristics. Last season, he asked for a raise, and, when denied, he went to play in China. The exact same scene is playing out again. There is a push to bring Singleton back, but the Wizards are unwilling to go beyond the veteran's minimum. So it looks like Singleton may be back in the Far East. Washington has been tight with money since applying the amnesty clause to Andray Blatche.

7/26/12: The Wizards were often criticized last year for playing undeveloped players throughout the year, resulting in one of the worst records in the league. Shelvin Mack and Chris Singleton have been repeatedly singled out as guys that were not ready for the NBA game. But coach Randy Whitman feels differently. Allowing those two, and others, to get the experience forced them to improve, and the Wizards were strong for the last 15 games or so. With a fully NBA year experience and the addition of Bradley Beal to help scoring, the Wizards look like a team on the rise in Eastern Conference.

With the third overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards took Bradley Beal, the 6'5" shooting guard from the University of Florida. Beal, who only played one season with the Gators before making himself eligible for the draft, averaged 14.8 points and 6.7 rebounds as a freshman guard, and he figures to be a nice complement in the Washington backcourt to go along with Wizards point guard John Wall in the coming years. The Wizards will continue to add youth to their lineup and hope that Beal's explosiveness and tenacity in attacking the basket will help create opportunities.

5/22/12: The Washington Wizzards' best player, John Wall, was added to the 2012 US Men's Select Team roster this week. The Select Team is like a scout team for the US Olympic Team, essentially the next best 12 guys. The Select Team will train with and scrimmage against the Olympic Team, as the US tries for the gold medal in London over the summer. Wall averaged 16.3 points, 8.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in his first two NBA seasons. He finished 7th in assists per game and led the Wizzards in most major statistical categories during the 2011-12 season.

5/15/12: The Wizards, all but forgotten in the DC sports scene, figure to continue their roster overhaul. The movement effectively began about 18 months ago when the team conned Orlando into accepting Rashard Lewis' max contract and giving up Gilbert Arena's even longer max contract. Lewis has been tormented by injuries since the trade, and at 32, only played 28 games last season. The Wizards will try to trade him or buy him out for about $13 million. In contrast, the Magic utilized the Amnesty Clause from the recent CBA agreement and bought out Arenas for $60 million prior to the season.

5/11/12: John Wall, the number one overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft, matured and evolved tremendously from his rookie to a sophmore season. Now the Wizards hope 2011 first round pick Chris Singleton follows a similar career arc. He was drafted as a defensive specialist but acknowledges that he needs to develop his offense and better understand how the NBA game is played. But Washington as a whole is a young team and could benefit from some veteran leadership, as well as some more defensive help. The Wizards aren't ready to contend yet, but may be able to move into third in the Southeast next year.

5/3/12: Washington finished the season at 20-46, which was better than only the Charlotte Bobcats who set a record for lowest win percentage ever at .107%. The team finished very strong, however, winning 8 of their final 10, and last six in a row. Former first overall pick John Wall's leadership improved significanly throughout the year. Coach Randy Whitman allowed him to develop into a floor general - calling his own plays rather than looking to the bench for guidance. The Wizards own the second overall pick in the upcoming draft and may be looking to add Kansas power forward Thomas Robinson to beef up their interior game.

4/25/12: Though it is a compressed and shortened schedule, the Wizards are no doubt looking forward to putting this season behind them. Washington finished strong with an 8-2 record in their last ten, which included a six winning streak - so they cannot be accused of tanking the end of the season in order to secure more ping-pong balls in the upcoming draft. In a somewhat controversial move, the team and team President Ernie Grunfeld agreed to a new deal. The Wizards have four consecutive losing seasons under Grunfeld, and have a second-to-last record of 86-224 in that time frame.

4/18/12: Even with a two-game winning streak (including an 87-84 road win against the Bulls) the Wizards are not endangering their lottery status. Washington currently has the second-worst record in the league and only 16 notches in 'W' column, and most likely will finish with the second most ping pong balls. The victory over Chicago included an 11-point comeback in the fourth quarter and 35 points off the bench - including 14 by Maurice Evans. The win should be tempered, though, as neither Derrick Rose nor Luol Deng played due to injury. Four games remain, two against Miami, and one each against Charlotte and Cleveland.

Washington Wizards Tickets - Team History

Washington Wizards tickets allow fans the opportunity to see an NBA franchise looking for redemption in 2011. Established in 1961, the team settled in Washington in 1974. The Wizards play their games at the Verizon Center and have called the venue home since it opened recently in 1997. Watch as the Wizards build their legacy and work to bring their second world title to the Nation's Capital!

Washington Wizards Tickets - Season Info

Washington Wizards 2011 Offseason

Washington Wizards tickets - Ticket Information