Washington Wizards Chances of Making It to The Playoffs

The Washington Wizards last won the NBA title in 1978. Since the team’s inception, it has participated in 28 playoffs, winning 8 division titles.

Most recently, Tommy Sheppard and Ted Leonsis assembled what seems to be a playoff-worthy team and fans are excited. With parity in the NBA being what it is this season, contending teams are either a lock for the playoffs, fighting for a position in the playoffs, or completely out of consideration. Where do the Washington Wizards fall on this scale? Before you make your NBA bets on betway casino zambia, here is what you should know about the team’s chances of making it to the playoffs this season.

Current Position

Last season, the Wizards played 82 games, won 35, finished 4th in the southeast division, and did not make it to the playoffs. They are currently third in the division with a 24-28 record behind Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks and 10th in the Eastern Conference. Earlier on, the team went on a six-game winning streak that has fans optimistic they might just make it to the playoffs this year.

Retractors feel that this momentum is only plunging the team further into the Treadmill of Mediocrity. Meanwhile, the streak put the Wizards in the playin range for the Eastern Conference. Their current record is very close to .500 and would have been so if they had not lost their 20-point lead in their last two games.  

Speaking of streaks, the Wizards have also lost 10 straight games this season – the most in a row in the last 10 years. They have also had a five-game winning streak twice so far, following up their six-game winning streak with two straight losses.

The Team

The Wizards began the 2022-2023 season on October 19 with a game against the Indiana Pacers, which they won. The team will face the Pacers again at Capital One Arena on February 11 and according to major sportsbooks like Betway, they have a reason to be optimistic. 

Bradley Beal, the face of the team and star guard, is back from a wrist injury that kept him on the bench for most of last season. He recently signed a $251 million contract that broke several records. By the end of January, Beal was leading the team in three-point percentage (47.6) and assists per game (5.3) – moves that have been amazing for the team.

Meanwhile, the Wizards recently signed a phenomenal big man in Kristaps Porzingis who scored 18.7 points per game for the three games he has played behind Kuzma’s 23.5. The Wizards also added several seasoned players – Will Barton, Delon Wright, and Monte Morris – to their roster last summer. The young members don't seem to be doing much for the team, but there is hope that Daniel Gafford, Corey Kispert, and Deni Avdija came back for the season with a little more experience. 

The Trade

Leonsis seems reluctant to make waves with his roster. However, if the Wizards are to make it to the playoffs, they will need to make significant upgrades at the Thursday trade deadline. At the moment, the team is saddled with young players who can best be described as average. Things may pan out better if the manager agrees to let go of at least two of these players. 

According to analysts, trading Hachimura could get the Wizards into the lower ranks of the playoffs. These odds can be improved by losing Kispert, Davis, and Avdija.

The Wizards currently ranked 20th in paint defense despite having Gafford and Porzingis on the team. The solution to this could be saddling Avdija up with a capable wing defender. 

The Game

Still, this might not be enough to catapult the Wizards into the playoffs. Critics maintain that the team will remain put in NBA limbo, where they have no shot at the championship but are not bad enough to warrant a game-changing selection in the next draft. 

10 of the 15 Eastern Conference teams will make it to the playoffs. Numbers 1 to 6 will take the first spots, and the other four will have to battle it out in the playins to make numbers 7 and 8. The Wizards are currently 10th, which gives them a shot at seeds 7 and 8.

The Odds

Getting into seeds 7 and 8 through playins will mean going up against a relatively formidable team in the first round. The Wizards managed this feat two years ago, earning the number 8 seed after beating Indiana in the playins and winning 17 out of their last 23 games. 

The Wizards have clinched the last plain spot and are 6 games back from the number 6 seed and 2 games behind the number 8 seed. Their momentum seems to be leading them to at least a shot at the playoffs, if they can maintain it. According to FiveThirtyEight, the Wizards have a 31% chance of making the playoffs at the moment.

Final Thoughts

Taking all things into consideration, the Wizards have had a topsy-turvy time of this season. Their momentum appears legitimate and their impressive winning streak has delivered them the playins. Whether they make it to the playoffs now depends on what they do at the trade deadline and whether they can endure the rest of their schedule.