John Wall Says Wizards Will Make Eastern Conference Finals

After being named to the All-Star team Thursday, Washington Wizards guard John Wall set a lofty expectation for the Wiz this season. 

As seen in the following video, courtesy of the NBA on TNT, Wall believes Washington will reach the 2016-17 Eastern Conference Finals:

"I see ourselves getting to the Eastern Conference Finals," Wall said. "That's our goal."

In the interview (h/t Scott Allen of the Washington Post), the four-time All-Star also explained how the Wizards went from a 2-8 start to being fifth in the Eastern Conference at 25-20: "We just figured it out. We all looked ourselves in the mirror and said we all got to do better individually. Our coach held us accountable, and when I lock in on the defensive end, everyone else follows my lead."

The Wizards haven't gone as far as the Eastern Conference Finals since 1978-79 when they lost in the NBA Finals as the Washington Bullets.

Washington is coming off a 41-41 campaign that saw it miss the playoffs, but it is positioned well to play postseason basketball in 2016-17.

That is due largely to the play of Wall, who is averaging 23.1 points and 10.1 assists per game. He also has a great backcourt wingman in Bradley Beal, who is putting up 21.9 points per contest.

Despite their recent struggles, the 30-14 Cleveland Cavaliers remain heavy favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals for the third consecutive season.

Wall didn't go so far as to say he expects the Wizards to beat the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals, but it's likely a mountain Washington will have to climb in order to compete for a championship.