NBA Playoffs 2015: Three Positive Takeaways From The Washington Wizards’ Game-5 Loss

Last night, the Washington Wizards were one rebound away from securing a 3-2 series lead before heading back home to the nation’s capital with a chance to close their series against the Atlanta Hawks.

Instead, Nene gave up an offensive rebound and put back to Al Horford, who sunk the Wizards in the closing moments.

If you’re a Wizards fan, seeing your team lose in that fashion is certainly a tough pill to swallow. They put themselves in a great position to potentially advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in what seems like centuries, and although that chance is still there, it seems a lot less likely.

Following the game, I saw a number of Wizards fans tweet some negative things, essentially completely disregarding all of the positive things that occurred during Game-5 against the Hawks.

After such a disappointing loss, it’s understandable to react negatively, but it’s also important to focus on some of the positives that will eventually outweigh the loss in the future.

John Wall Might Be The Best Thing That’s Happened To The Wizards

Despite dealing with five fractures in his left hand, John Wall returned to the Washington Wizards’ lineup last night.

Although he didn’t play his best game, often times turning the ball over in situations where he wouldn’t have if his hand wasn’t broken, he played a playoff game WITH A BROKEN HAND.

Let that sink in for a moment.

How many players are there in the NBA that would put themselves at such a risk in order to help their team? Not many.

Bradley Beal Is Becoming A Star

I’ll be honest. I’m a huge fan of Bradley Beal and I’ve recognized how much potential he has. But after an underwhelming season riddled with injuries, I became concerned about his future.

We’ve seen Beal show flashes of what he could become, but he’s never quite put it all together like he has in the playoffs. It started against the Toronto Raptors in the first round, where we saw Beal become an Angry Panda, constantly making life difficult for the opposing guards.

Much of Beal’s struggles during the regular season could be attributed to poor coaching, but he’s changed what he could individually during the playoffs.

For the most part, he’s stopped settling for mid-range jumpers and he’s been more persistent by attacking the basket. He’s shooting more three point shots and he’s creating for himself and his teammates off the dribble. With Wall out, Beal dished out 7+ assists in two consecutive games.

At 21-years-old, Beal is undoubtedly the best young shooting guard in the NBA. Last night in Atlanta, Beal found ways to score when Washington needed him most. Whether it was making a timely pass to Paul Pierce for three or finding an open look from the elbow, Beal has become a go-to player down the stretch.

Even more impressively, Beal has suddenly become one of Washington’s most reliable perimeter defenders.

Beal has held Kyle Korver to just 5 points per game on less than 36 percent shooting over the past three games. Korver is arguably the best shooter in the NBA and his movement without the ball is outstanding. Beal has chased him around and made it difficult for him to get any breathing room.

If Beal can carry this momentum over to the regular season, he’s going to become an NBA All-Star.

The Team Is Growing Up, Regardless Of Outcome

The Washington Wizards were considered the underdogs against the Raptors and completed a sweep despite the odds against them. Regardless of how the Atlanta Hawks series ends, the Wizards have taken significant steps forward and we saw them take a few of those steps last night too.

Randy Wittman was criticized after playing Nene instead of Marcin Gortat late in the game, but given how well Al Horford had played, I don’t think swapping Gortat for Nene would’ve made a difference on Horford’s game winner. Neither Gortat nor Nene are capable of checking Horford. That’s just the way it is.

Still, Wittman made the correct call to play small late in the game and put the team in a position to win. Some believe that Wittman still deserves to get fired after Washington’s season comes to an end, but it’s also important to recognize how much he’s grown as a coach throughout the past several weeks.

He’s embraced the small-ball lineup and players like Otto Porter and Paul Pierce have thrived as a result. Wittman should’ve played Porter earlier in the season, but I suppose it’s better late than never.

Porter’s emergence in the playoffs has given Washington a more positive outlook on the future. Even with a poor shooting performance, Porter managed to contribute off the bench as he grabbed 10 rebounds and made a few shots late in the game.

Washington will head back to the nation’s capital on Friday, trying to extend their post-season life. It’s going to be tough to pull it out, but the Washington Wizards have shown they’re capable of playing remarkable basketball this season.

It could be a lot worse, Washington Wizards fans. Let’s hope for some more #PositivePixels going forward.

Next: Beal Grew Up During Wall's Absence