Wizards 2015-16 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
After steadily rising through the Eastern Conference ranks each of the last two years, the Washington Wizards face the burden of expectations and a new-look roster in their quest to make a deep playoff run in 2015-16.
Even with key pieces from last year's team departing, the Wizards are still led by the dynamic young backcourt duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Having those two players continuing to evolve can offset the loss of veteran Paul Pierce.
Fortunately for Washington, Wall sounds ready to take over the leadership role that Pierce served in last season, as he told Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post:
"It’s all on me now. I feel like it is. Going into my sixth year and having three great veterans in Trevor Ariza and Al Harrington and definitely Paul Pierce, those guys taught me to be a leader the best way you can be. And now I have to go in there from Day 1 and try to do what I got to do and do what those guys did in the past and lead my team.
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Another major storyline for the Wizards will be rookie Kelly Oubre. The former Kansas star has tremendous length for a wing player with a 7'2" wingspan to go with his 6'7" frame, per Draft Express.
All eyes will be on Wall for the Wizards now. This franchise will rise or fall based on how the 24-year-old performs, even while depth is a concern, so oddsmakers don't see big things happening in Washington this year.
Odds Shark lists the Wizards as having 50-1 odds to win the NBA title in 2015-16, which is tied for 11th out of 30 teams. Other franchises in that bunch include the Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.
The Wizards didn't try to make a big splash in free agency, putting the onus on a young nucleus of talent and the addition of Oubre to help the franchise compete with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls in the conference.
Wall and Beal are terrific, but Oubre, Marcin Gortat and Nene Hilario will be crucial if the Wizards want to get past the second round of the playoffs.
Here is a look at the schedule Washington will be dealing with this season, along with a breakdown of the best games and a prediction for what their record will be. The full schedule can be found here.
Analyzing Marquee Matchups
Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
When: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 7 p.m. ET; Wednesday, Jan. 6, 7 p.m. ET; Sunday, Feb. 28, 1 p.m. ET; Friday, Mar. 4, 8 p.m. ET
Long before LeBron James was breaking the hearts of Indiana and Chicago fans in the playoffs virtually every year, he broke the hearts of Wizards fans three straight years.
From 2006-08, during James' first stint in Cleveland before he took his talents to South Beach, the Cavaliers went 12-4 against Washington in three first-round playoff series.
These Wizards have no understanding of that time, as Wall and Beal were a few years away from being drafted, but this franchise still finds itself looking up at James and the Cavaliers.
Before a game between these two teams last November, James told ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin those old clashes were a true rivalry:
"You know, now that’s a rivalry. That was a rivalry. When we talk about rivalries, that was a rivalry at that time, and it was a lot of bad, not only blood, but words and everything coming from that camp, coming from our camp, and it was great for basketball at the time. It was must-see TV, and I was happy to be a part of the victorious side.
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In four meetings last year, the Wizards went 1-3 against Cleveland. Their lone win came on November 21, when the Cavaliers were going through that early-season lull. Washington lost the subsequent three games by an average of 23 points.
Those games speak to where the Wizards have been the last few years. They are good enough to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference but will struggle against top-tier competition. Atlanta knocked them out of the playoffs last season in six games, for instance.
Cleveland is the litmus test by which all teams in the East will be measured. The Wizards aren't quite at their level yet in terms of roster depth, but Wall and Beal give them two special weapons few teams can match. Gortat and Hilario are athletic big men who can cause matchup problems.
Wizards head coach Randy Wittman has to figure out a way to put all of the pieces at his disposal to good use if they want to challenge the Cavaliers during the regular season and possibly heading into the playoffs.
Washington Wizards vs. Indiana Pacers
When: Tuesday, Nov. 24, 7 p.m. ET; Friday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m. ET; Saturday, Mar. 5, 7 p.m. ET
While not a traditional rivalry, the Wizards and Pacers are two of the most intriguing Eastern Conference teams heading into this season. They aren't in Cleveland or Chicago territory on paper but might be two teams capable of giving them the most problems.
The Pacers were supposed to be the team that stopped James' run of dominance two years ago, posting a conference-high 56 wins, but they were upended in six games during the Eastern Conference Finals.
Last year was lost for Indiana before the season even started. Paul George's broken leg suffered during a Team USA scrimmage in August took away the Pacers' best weapon, leaving them to fight for 38 wins.
Indiana has made changes to the roster this offseason, trading Roy Hibbert to Los Angeles, drafting Myles Turner and signing Monta Ellis to make the offense more explosive. Yet those changes may come at the expense of a defense that finished third in points allowed per game and fourth in opponent's effective field-goal percentage.
Finding more contenders in the Eastern Conference is going to be a key storyline to watch this season. The Wizards have increased their win total each of the last three years, going from 20 in 2011-12 to 46 last season.
Any hope for the Wizards to break the 50-win plateau for the first time since 1978-79 will depend on their ability to win season series against teams like Indiana. It will also put them in a position where they can avoid the Cavaliers in the playoffs until a hypothetical matchup in the conference finals.
Record Prediction
Given the only significant roster change for the Wizards this offseason was losing Pierce to the Los Angeles Clippers, there doesn't seem to be a lot standing in the way of another winning season.
That's not to minimize the importance of Pierce to the franchise, as was made evident during all of his postseason heroics, but he only averaged 11.9 points per game last season.
Wall wants to be a leader for the team, and there's no evidence to suggest he can't handle that responsibility. Beal needs to prove he can do more than just shoot three-pointers for this offense to get better. Oubre has to develop quicker than a typical rookie, though his leash shouldn't be short.
Helping the Wizards in their quest to make a third consecutive playoff appearance in the Eastern Conference, outside of Cleveland, hasn't gotten progressively better. Virtually all of the top free-agent talent has migrated out west.
The Southeast Division will be ultra-competitive this season, with Atlanta presumably coming back to the pack following 60 wins last year and Miami being better with a healthy Chris Bosh and full season from Goran Dragic.
Another playoff appearance may feel like a letdown for Wizards fans, though it will all depend on how deep they are able to go. Another first- or second-round exit suggests a lack of progress for the franchise.
Regular-season record prediction: 45-37
Stats via TeamRankings.com.
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