Wiz of Awes
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Washington Wizards 2016-2017 NBA Season Preview: 5 Reasons to Be Optimistic

By Ben Mehic

Mar 17, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) yells from the players bench against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Washington Wizards won 99-94. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) yells from the players bench against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Washington Wizards won 99-94. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 3, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard
May 3, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard /

2) The hunger is back

The Washington Wizards were at their best when they were considered the “underdog.” No one expected the Wizards to beat the Chicago Bulls nor the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs, let alone beat them in dominant fashion.

Washington is now back to square one, so to speak.

No one is expecting much from the Wizards.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are the focus of the Eastern Conference and the Golden State Warriors remain the most talked about team in the league. The Wizards are a forgotten bunch, and they should be.

The team’s core, including Wall, Beal, Porter and Gortat, knows how it feels to win on a big stage and how it feels to sit at home watching the playoffs.

For some reason, it never felt like the Wizards were ready for this upcoming season. It’s almost as if they just expected to waltz into the playoffs. They didn’t take their opponents seriously, often losing to other lottery bound teams. They lost the hunger that made them a fun group last year.

That hunger should return this season.

Wall, Beal and Co. have a reputation to protect. The East is wide open. Washington could end up climbing the latter and finishing among the top teams in the East, or they could continue to falter and miss the playoffs again. At this point, it’s going to be up to them.

The Wizards don’t want to put themselves in a position where they aren’t playing meaningful basketball in April. The fire they had in the seasons prior to last year should be back in 2017.

Next: 1) The East's Best Backcourt

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