Eastern Conference Power Rankings: Where do the Wizards Land
By Matt Levin
Playoff Hopefuls
12. New York Knicks
How are we doing Knicks fans? Still sad? Probably. Well its not all bad Knicks fans. Sure, you didn’t get Zion Williamson, Kevin Durant, or Kyrie Irving. But you drastically improved your front court.
The Knicks added a bunch solid forwards this offseason. They signed Julius Randle, Reggie Bullock, Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis, and Marcus Morris. Is that too many forwards? Perhaps.
All these forwards join developing players Dennis Smith Jr., Mitchell Robinson, and Kevin Knox. Oh yeah and the Knicks drafted RJ Barrett with the third overall pick, one of the best players in the draft.
Will the Knicks make the playoffs next season? Probably not. Their backcourt sucks. But, I won’t say it’s not impossible.
11. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks had one of the most underrated offseasons in the league. They acquired two top ten picks in the draft, De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish. These two will go along with developing stars Trae Young and John Collins to create one of the best young cores in the league.
The Hawks also added vets to help develop their young core. They acquired Jabari Parker, Chandler Parsons, and Evan Turner. Vince Carter will also seek to go out with a bang in his final season in the league.
The Hawks talent puts them in the playoff conversation. However, their talent is extremely young and will need to develop fast if they want to make the playoffs.
10. Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards lost a lot of talent this offseason. Trevor Ariza, Jeff Green, Jabari Parker, Tomas Satoransky, and Bobby Portis all left Washington in free agency. With John Wall likely out all next season with a torn achilles, things went down hill fast.
However, the Wizards played the offseason smartly, replacing these players with young talent. The Wizards acquired Rui Hachimura, Admiral Schofield, and Moe Wagner to go along with Troy Brown Jr. to create a team that has potential, but little experience playing in the NBA.
The Wizards also added Isaiah Thomas to their roster to take over the starting point guard spot. IT was in the MVP conversation just three seasons ago, but injuries derailed his career. Now that IT is healthy, he is eager to prove that he is still the player he once was.
The Wizards also have something that all the teams below them in the Power of Rankings do not, a star player. Bradley Beal is coming off the best season of his career and seeks to improve on it.
Beal on the Wizard’s roster automatically puts them in the playoff conversation. The question remains what type of player will IT be next season and how well and quickly will the Wizards develop their young talent.
9. Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are pretty much the same team they were last season. They were able to make the playoffs last season as a seven seed. However, while the Magic stood pat, other teams in the East improved.
The Magic resigned their two key players in the offseason, Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross. These two will come back to Orlando and play along side Aaron Gordon once again to try to get the Magic back to the playoffs for the second year in a row.
The key for the Magic making the playoffs next season is to get their young players back on the court. Mo Bamba, Markelle Fultz, and first round pick Chuma Okeke have all dealt with or are dealing with serious injuries. If the Magic can get these three healthy and keep them healthy, do not be surprised if the Magic make the playoffs next season.