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Washington Wizards 2015 NBA Season Review: The Good, Bad, And Questions Surrounding Future

By Osman Baig

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The Washington Wizards‘ season came to an abrupt end after the referees waived off a potential game and series altering buzzer beater from Paul Pierce in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. I literally mean abrupt as the crowd at Verizon Center and those watching on T.V. experienced the highs of high and the lows of low all in a span of a few minutes.

A couple of weeks have passed and while the reality of the season being over has finally settled in, it’s time to take stock of this past season while taking a peak towards the future.

The Washington Wizards had an up-and-down regular season campaign, starting off amongst the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference but struggled mightily from January on. The consistency, offense, and style of play were infuriating at times as Wizards Twitter can attest to.

Throughout it all, there was the good balanced out by the bad. The playoffs took off on a similar trajectory as the Wizards stormed out of the gate to a 5-0 start; 3-0 on the road. The offense was performing at a level that we didn’t see at all during the regular season.

Then in what seemed like a matter of moments, the dark cloud of the curse of Les Boulez returned and the playoffs ended in what seemed like an instant. In a season of ups-and-downs; good and bad, how do the individual players fit into the equation?

The Good

– John Wall elevated his game to another level during the regular season, displaying a greater level of consistency and maturity in elevating the play of those around him. He built on this in the playoffs where he flashed elite game-changing play; making people forget about his first playoff performance and emerging as a bona fide star when the NBA lights shine brightest.

– Playoff Brad came back for a sequel, and this time the sequel was better than the original.

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Bradley Beal had another coming out party in the playoffs, averaging 23.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.

It was a refreshing sight to see after a difficult sophomore season marred by injuries and inconsistent play.

– Playoff Otto was also a welcome sight for a fanbase that feared Otto Porter was the next in the line of failed draft picks which including Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton.

Otto Porter filled the role voided with Trevor Ariza’s departure and his defense in particular versus DeMar Derozan played a large role in the Wizards’ ability to sweep the Toronto Raptors.

– Marcin Gortat hit a rough patch around midway through the season, but really was an efficient hammer down low for the bulk of the season and had great chemistry with John Wall in the pick & roll. After signing a 5-year extension last summer, the Wizards should be pleased with the early returns as Marcin’s player efficiency rating and true shooting percentage both increased.

– Playoff Randy is a mythical creature of the future. Playoff Randy = mental toughness, defense, and strong road play. This year the offense also improved in the playoffs as Randy Wittman finally adjusted his lineups and went to a more modern approach of spreading the floor and shooting the 3 point shot.

It’s no coincidence that John Wall and Bradley Beal truly broke out when the lineup was finally altered to showcase more of an open floor.

– Aaaand, Paul Pierce:

The Bad

– Regular Season Randy is an extinct creature. Long 2s, lack of 3s, attitude to take what the defense gives you, confusing substitution patterns (Where was Otto throughout the season?), and reliance on a two big-man lineup; nothing which seems conducive towards growth from the Washington Wizards foundation: their backcourt.

– Nene: I hate to blame a series on one player and it wouldn’t be fair to do so given John Wall’s injury, but if there was a player close to being responsible for a series loss, Nene would have made a strong case with his play versus Atlanta.

I wrote earlier that the Washington Wizards have outgrown Nene and I stand by that. Unless he’s willing to play center behind Marcin Gortat, the Wizards lose too much in spacing to effectively allow the backcourt to play a style conducive to their potential.

– Bradley Beal’s injuries were a major setback for him as he started the season off injured with a wrist injury and suffered a stress reaction for the third time in three years. When he was on the court during the regular season, he was having a hard time finding consistency. Was it the injuries, poor shot selection, coaching, or all of the above? My guess is all of the above, but in the playoffs we were reminded of what he could be when it starts to click.

What does all of this mean for the future?

The Washington Wizards are likely closer to achieving real contender status than they’ve EVER been in the past 30+ years. Let’s look at the major questions that face this franchise as it moves towards a summer which they likely hope solidifies their position as a bona-fide threat to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East.

1) Will Paul Pierce return?

Otto Porter’s playoff performance probably alleviates from fear over Paul Pierce leaving to L.A. or retiring, but his presence, leadership, and ability to play the role of closer will be difficult to replace.

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Outside of the buzzer beaters and big shots, just look at what he did versus Toronto.

Paul Pierce effectively took the focus away from Washington’s best two players (Wall and Beal) and put the focus squarely on himself, taking immense pressure of those players.

2) Will Ernie Grunfeld finally find the stretch four this team needs?

The Washington Wizards’ offense took off once they began to use a lineup featuring Paul Pierce as a stretch four this postseason. The problem is, if Paul Pierce decides to return he still must be managed and likely won’t be able to play serious regular season minutes as a stretch four.

Will Ernie find that player this offseason utilizing the draft, trade exceptions, or free agency? He hasn’t been able to do so beyond stop gaps so I’m skeptical, but if he is able to address that need, we might see a much more effective and high powered offense without having to wait for the postseason to see it.

3) Is Playoff Randy going to appear in the regular season?

This is tough to answer, but Randy Wittman did sound as though he was more open to playing smaller and faster, and finding lineups that were more conducive to bringing out the talents of his backcourt. Will it translate when the regular season starts? Honestly, there is no way to know.

On top of that, you have questions pertaining to rotations, player development, and in-game strategy. Even at his best in the playoffs, Wittman opened himself up to second guessing by not giving Kris Humphries an opportunity versus Atlanta and routinely struggling to score down the stretch of ball games — for all the good we saw on offense, they still managed only 22.2 points per game in the fourth quarter this postseason.

Will things be different this time around or will Wittman show impatience with whomever he drafts, routinely play Nene over a more effective Marcin Gortat to end games, and still lean on an offense that’s reliant on what the defense gives them versus playing to their strengths?

The loss versus Atlanta came with more disappointment than last year’s defeat at the hands of Indiana. The opportunity was there; the Wizards looked like the better team until injury derailed what could have been a franchise altering season for the Washington Wizards.

While the disappointment leaves a bitter taste, it also for the first time in a long time symbolizes a belief that this team is on the cusp of being a championship caliber team. Will the organization, from the front office down to the players, take the next step necessary to realize that potential?

We’ll just have to wait and see.

Next: Boogie To DC: A Trade Idea

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