7 Lottery Teams That Could Make The Playoffs
By Alex Siquig
Apr 10, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards point guard John Wall (2) shoots the ball over Miami Heat shooting guard Mike Miller (13) in the first quarter at Verizon Center. The Heat won 103-98. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Washington Wizards
I don’t think anyone watched the second half Wizards from last season and didn’t think they would have given the Heat more of a struggle than the hapless Milwaukee Bucks. John Wall came back from injury re-energized and the torpid Wizards sprang to life, collecting a series of impressive wins over the many of the league’s championship contenders.
The Wizards already had deceptively strong defensive numbers, basically elite numbers for a team that lost as many games as they did. When the offense catches up to the defense things are going to get very fun for this plucky group.
This year Wall and Beal have tasted the minor victory of exceeding expectations and should be ready and raring to get to that next level. Nene, Trevor Ariza, and Emeka Oakafor are a trio of blue-collar vets that can still produce, sometimes even on the same night. Martell Webster is your corner three magician and the addition of Eric Maynor, once considered a fringe member of Oklahoma City’s core, will bolster the bench with reliable backcourt scoring. Jan Vesely has been absolutely destroying the competition in Summer League and we’ve yet to see exactly what Otto Porter is going to bring to this hungry squad. As the Bucks and Hawks begin their slow flameouts, the Wizards have an absolutely gift of an opportunity to seize the 8th seed.