For Washington Wizards fans who would consider themselves avid NBA fans, the playoffs are a prime viewing experience right now. There are so many talented teams going head-to-head and giving appreciators of high-level basketball a real treat.
But understandably, this can also be a difficult time of year to turn on the TV for the most long-tenured and die-hard Wizards fans. Washington has not been in the playoffs since the 2020-21 season, and just 33 combined wins in the two seasons has made for some hard times. The playoffs can be a stark reminder of just how far the Wizards are from being a playoff contender once again.
However, for those who don't mind watching former Washington players suit up in the playoffs for other teams, you've had a lot to watch this postseason. In this year's first round, there were 18 former Wizards competing across the 16 teams in the opening two weekends of the playoffs.
For those wondering, those players are: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Moritz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Kristaps Porzingis (Boston Celtics), Bobby Portis, Ryan Rollins and Kyle Kuzma (Milwaukee Bucks), Thomas Bryant and Quenton Jackson (Indiana Pacers), Rui Hachimura, Jordan Goodwin, Markieff Morris and Alex Len (Los Angeles Lakers), Russell Westbrook (Denver Nuggets), Gary Payton II (Golden State Warriors), Jeff Green (Houston Rockets), Patrick Baldwin Jr. (LA Clippers), Jay Huff, Marvin Bagley III (Memphis Grizzlies), and Delon Wright (New York Knicks).
The most interesting thing about this development comes in the form of a fun fact: Over the course of the last eight NBA seasons, every single NBA champion has had a former Washington Wizard on their roster at the time they achieved the title.
A former Wizard has been on the last eight NBA championship teams
Let's take a look back in time, shall we? For the 2017 and 2018 Golden State Warriors, we had both JaVale McGee and Shaun Livingston representing in the locker room. Man, talk about a throwback.
In 2019, Jodie Meeks was the former Wizard on the Toronto Raptors' championship roster. Then for the 2020 Lakers, JaVale McGee was there once again, along with Dwight Howard and Markieff Morris. In 2021, Bobby Portis helped Giannis Antetokounmpo claim his first championship.
The 2022 Warriors had a roster featuring Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr. and Chris Chiozza. Nikola Jokic couldn't get it done in 2023 without Jeff Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Ish Smith and Thomas Bryant, and then Kristaps Porzingis was the lone former Wizard on the Celtics' roster last year.
This season, we have several candidates that can continue this tradition of a former Wizards player winning a championship. Probably the biggest threat to this streak being broken would be the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are bulldozing through the playoffs and don't employ a past Washington player.
In terms of the favorites to be added to this list, should the tradition carry on? Porzingis has to be near the top, with Boston being a heavy favorite to come out of the East once again. After him, Russell Westbrook and Patrick Baldwin Jr. might be the next best bets.