7 teams the Washington Wizards can hope to emulate if they get 8th seed
By Keith Cork
1. 2009-10 Chicago Bulls
It was Derrick Rose‘s second season, the Chicago Bulls had a bit older of a core than our current Washington Wizards, and the east was considered wide open. Head coach Vinny Del Negro helped the slightly aged “Baby Bulls” get to a 41-41 record and 8th in the Eastern Conference at the beginning of the last decade.
Related Story. The definitive 2010’s Washington Wizards “All-Decade Team”. light
Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, and Luol Deng were all 24 years old playing alongside 21-year-old D Rose. Kirk Hinrich was an advanced 29 years of age and Big Bad Brad Miller was 33 years old on this hodge podge of a team.
But it worked. They got to the playoff and got their (somewhat) young core another playoff berth and some really nice experience for the youngest MVP in league history, an award he would win the following season.
The only difference between the 2009-10 Chicago Bulls and this year’s Washington Wizards squad is health. The Bulls didn’t really have many bodies missing while the Wizards have a bona fide superstar on the sidelines.
Still, they battled and should be looked up to for inspiration from this squad because even though they lost in five games to the LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers in their first round playoff series that year, they returned in the following season and led the NBA with a 62-20 record, and many thought they had a chance at the title.
If the Washington Wizards can make this kind of year-by-year improvement, there’s no telling where they might be next year with a healthy Wall.
Record at all-star break: 25-26
2009-10 Final record & result :41-41, Lost in 1st round
2010-11 season record & result: 62-20, Lost in Eastern Conference Finals