National Basketball Association

Washington Wizards 2016-17 Season Outlook: Becoming a Sleeper Team

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Washington Wizards missed the 2015-16 NBA Playoffs and have subsequently become a sleeper team after revamping the roster in the summer.

After a disappointing 2015-16 NBA season, the expectations for the Washington Wizards are still somewhat up in the air.

The young backcourt, John Wall and Bradley Beal, has been given the keys to the team.

Both players have received max deals in their respective contract seasons. Scott Brooks has replaced Randy Wittman, who was regarded as one of the most stubborn coaches in the league. Ernie Grunfeld revamped the second unit, swapping veterans for developing players.

The ingredients for a successful season are in Washington, barring any injuries that hindered the team from making a strong run last year.

Still, the road to the playoffs won’t be without obstacles.

While the East isn’t as top-heavy with talent as the West, the conference is loaded with potential playoff teams.

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will finish atop the standings by default.

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After that, the standings become unclear.

The Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons all appear to be in the second tier.

Then other teams, like the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls, could end up being surprises – either good or bad.

As cliche as it sounds, for Washington to separate themselves from the pack, they have to take each game seriously.

Last year, the team dropped too many games after gaining a lead, only to see it disappear following a few mental lapses that snowballed into losses.

The roster is young and has a ton of upside, but losing games down the stretch isn’t an excuse at this point, especially now that Wall and Beal have playoff experience under their belt.

A few close losses could make the difference between finishing fifth, eighth and missing the playoffs entirely. Washington has to show growth in closing and much of that will be placed on the backcourt’s shoulders.

From an outsider’s perspective, the Wizards’ expectations aren’t very high. Some have them missing the postseason again while others haven’t even bothered making an educated guess as to where they will finish in the standings.

Quite frankly, people have forgotten about the Wizards after last season. They’ve become a sleeper team, in a sense.

The team seems to have embraced a winning mentality under Brooks and the backcourt is finally embracing their growing role. They no longer have veterans, like Paul Pierce, Nene, Trevor Ariza and others, to lean on. It’s solely on Wall and Beal, plus Brooks, to make it happen.

It’s playoffs or bust for Washington. The team is constructed to win now and later. There are no more excuses.

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