2008 Washington Wizards Predictions & Season Preview

The Washington Wizards seem to be an on-the-cusp team that is not good enough to win a postseason series, but not bad enough to reap draft night rewards. The Wizards have suffered numerous injuries over the past two seasons making it difficult to determine just how good this team can really be. Coach Eddie Jordan still hasn’t lost his sway in the locker room and the guys are still buying what he is selling, but Jordan could be out of a job if the Wizards don’t advance in the playoffs since he has just one year and an option left on his contract. Keep reading to find out if we think the Wizards will finally get over the hump this season. Check out BetUS where the Wizards are at +900 odds to win the Southeast Division and +2500 odds to win the Eastern Conference Championship.

Gilbert Arenas is such a good fit in Eddie Jordan’s Princeton-style offense, because it doesn’t rely on a true point guard. Arenas is an explosive scorer which makes the offense much more dangerous. Arenas needs to get better defensively if this team is going to really get better. Dee Brown, a defensive-minded true point guard in his second season will backup Arenas.

DeShawn Stevenson has been the model of consistency averaging 11 points in five of the last six years. Stevenson excels in a supporting role and with the injuries the last couple seasons to the major players, he has been asked to do too much. Antonio Daniels, an 11-year vet, will backup Stevenson. He has ranked among the league leaders in assist-to-turnover ration the last two years.

Caron Butler was having his best offensive season of his career before injuries sidelined him for the second straight season. Butler was a 2007 All-Star and is a locker room leader and holds the team together. Butler is a team player who is willing to sacrifice his own numbers to keep Arenas happy and Jamison involved down low. Dominic McGuire will back him up. He is still a project, but he has some tools that could help him finally breakthrough.

Antawn Jamison averaged 21.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in 38.7 minutes last season. He shot a career-low of .436 from the field, but with Arenas and Butler out, he was often the only viable offensive option. He was one of just 16 players to average a double-double. Darius Songaila, a banger who played in 80 games last season, will provide some beef around the basket.

Brendan Haywood posted career highs of 10.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 27.9 minutes last season. He started 80 games and played with great intensity. Etan Thomas will be back to backup Haywood after missing last season after having open-heart surgery.

Final Analysis

The core group of players for the Wizards hasn’t been healthy the last two seasons. The hope is that playing together will gel that Wizards’ suspect defense into a playoff-caliber commodity, but we aren’t quite buying it. With our NBA predictions we have the Wizards competing for 3rd in the Southeast Division, which means they could grab a playoff spot again this year, but could miss out with the rise of other teams in the Eastern Conference. If they do make the playoffs, we don’t expect them to make much of a splash. The Wizards are however +4000 odds at BetUS to win an NBA Championship.

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