Washington Wizards
After a mini-slump that saw them lose two consecutive games last week, the Wizards are right back on a roll. They have won four of their past five games and are averaging north of 110 points per outing during that span. Despite a loss to the Clippers Wednesday night, the trajectory is very much pointing upwards here.
Now, heading into the final two weeks of the regular season, Washington finds itself just two games out of the top spot in the Eastern Conference. That’s a dramatic turnaround from a team that started the season by losing 13 of its first 20 games.
In reality, Washington’s emergence to elite status has had more to do with the team’s supporting cast than the performance of John Wall. If the Wizards can continue to get stellar production from Bradley Beal and Otto Porter Jr. out on the wing, they will prove to be a tough out come playoff time.
That’s only magnified should Washington somehow find a way to earn a top-two seed back east. After all, here’s a team that’s won 24 of its past 28 home dates. Think about that for a second before writing them off.
In the midst of a west coast trip that will take them to Utah and Oakland within a three-day span, the Wizards can further cement their status as a legitimate title contender. They can also prove to be frauds going up against the best the Western Conference has to offer.