Right before and after the all-star break, fans were pretty convinced the Wizards would be making a first round playoff exit because nothing seemed to be going right. Now that things have began to turn around, the question of how much potential this Wizards team has in the playoffs has begun to arise.
As playoff positioning stands right now, the Wizards hold the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference, and would play the 4th seeded Chicago Bulls if the season were to end today. We saw how physical that matchup was in last seasons playoffs, but that occurred without Derrick Rose in uniform for the Bulls. With a potential return for Rose before the playoffs, this could be a very scary first round matchup, but still is very winnable.
The one team the Wizards should fear, and need to pray they do not have to face is going to be the Cleveland Cavaliers. Lebron James is unguardable come playoff time, and we all were able to witness what happened last time James was guarded by Paul Pierce in the warm ups. Now that Pierce is a Wizards, fans better hope the Wizards do not run into Lebron this season.
Even though the Hawks have the best record in the Eastern Conference, it would be tough for the Wizards to win in a seven game series. They may be able to stretch the series to six games, but with the way the Hawks are playing right now, a series victory would be very unlikely. The series would end up similar to how the Pacers series did last year, with the Wizards going back and forth, but eventually having to give in to the superior team.
Most of the other teams in the Eastern Conference serve as good matchups for the Wizards as they look to make a run deep into the playoffs. Assuming the Cavaliers and Hawks are able to maintain the 1st and 2nd seeds, the Wizards should be able to win their first round matchup, but then will likely fall to one of those two teams. As a Wizards fan, it hurts to say that, but I just can’t see the team being able to stop Lebron, or get past arguably the best full team in the Hawks.
The Wizards being able to prove me wrong here would make the city of Washington DC, and the fans more excited than ever before. The goal early in the season was to contend for a championship, so it appears that anything equal or less than last season’s postseason performance would be a bust.
