Washington Wizards: 3 things that will be crucial to a 2021 playoff run
By Ari Werbin
Do the Washington Wizards have a real shot at making a good playoff run in 2021?
The last two seasons have been disappointing for the Washington Wizards and Wizards fans. After finishing 25-47 during the abbreviated 2019-20 season, the Wizards have won 57 of their last 154 games since the start of the 2018-19 season.
After being just one game away from the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals, the Wizards were bounced by the Toronto Raptors in the first round in 2018. They then missed the playoffs in 2019 and 2020.
It’s been a quick a steep decline in Washington, but there’s reason to be hopeful for a turnaround in 2021.
As Wizards fans watch some enthralling – albeit unusual – playoff games in the NBA’s Orlando bubble, they should be watching optimistically. A year or so from now, we could very well be watching the Wizards in the NBA playoffs. Despite all their losing this season, the Wizards still finished as the first team out of the playoffs in the East.
A return to playoff contention isn’t a given, but there’s a good chance the next time we see the Washington Wizards on the court, they’re no longer looking towards the lottery.