This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Washington Wizards lost eight of their first 10 games this season.
That's obviously a small sample size over an 82-game schedule. But for a franchise that hasn't seen much success since its 1978-79 NBA Finals team — when they were known as the Bullets — many understandably believed Washington was destined for another season without a playoff appearance, and more cynicism from the Wizards' apathetic fan base.
Fast forward to Friday, when the Wizards take on the Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The picture looks a little different.
No, make that a lot different.
These Wizards are 46-29, have won a division championship for the first time in 38 years and are legitimate threats to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
For years, the Wizards have been the definition of mediocre. On Friday, they will be one of the toughest opponents the Jazz will face in the month of March.
"Winning the division, it's great, man," Washington's all-star point guard, John Wall, recently told reporters. "I've been here for seven years; it feels like I've been here my whole life. We haven't accomplished a lot of things. This is something that's exciting for the city, just the start to be where we want to be. Hopefully they can enjoy it. Hopefully, we can put a banner up for it, because it hasn't happened in so long. But we've got bigger goals that we're trying to reach."
How have the Wizards gone from a 2-8 afterthought to one of the best stories in the NBA?
It starts with Wall and his backcourt mate, shooting guard Bradley Beal, both of whom are having career seasons.
It continues with first-year coach Scott Brooks, who led the Oklahoma City Thunder to stardom, got fired when OKC stalled out and is having a coach-of-the-year type of season with his new team.
It continues with a front office that fortified a thin bench with trade deadline additions in Brandon Jennings and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
It culminates with role players such as Otto Porter and Markieff Morris, who provide shooting and spacing for Wall and Beal.
The Wizards are one of the most feared offensive teams in the NBA. They average 109.5 points per game, which is second in the Eastern Conference, trailing only the Cavaliers, and they are one of the best home teams in the league (29-10). Those two attributes explain why they are currently third in the East, two games behind Cleveland and the Boston Celtics.
"We've been able to adjust well to what we have on the roster," Brooks said in February. "We've been able to go big with [Marcin] Gortat. We've been able to go small at times. We've been able to make a lot of things work."
Even with Beal and Porter having the best years of their respective careers, Washington orbits around Wall's talents. The race for the NBA's most valuable player centers around four guys; Russell Westbrook, James Harden, James and Kawhi Leonard. Wall's been good enough that he can make a solid argument for the fifth spot.
The point guard out of Kentucky is averaging 23.4 points and 10.8 assists per game. He's pulling down 4.2 rebounds and has a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 23.61, one of the best in the league. He's one of the best players in the league in transition, and he's one of the better defenders in the league.
"He's someone who can change a game without scoring a point," Jazz forward Gordon Hayward said before the Jazz and Wizards met in February. "He's so fast that he puts a lot of pressure on your defense, so it puts a lot of emphasis on us to get back on the fastbreak."
As good as the Wizards have been this season, the Jazz were successful against them in their first meeting. In what was one of Utah's more impressive road wins, the Jazz took control in the second quarter of a 102-92 win at the Verizon Center.
As has been the norm during the second half of Utah's season, Hayward and Rudy Gobert were significant factors. Hayward scored 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Gobert scored 15 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked four shots. Defensively, the Jazz surrendered 23 points and 11 assists to Wall and 22 points to Beal. But Porter and Gortat scored six points, while Morris scored seven points.
Utah's ability to limit Washington's role players went a long way toward a Jazz victory, as did the Jazz's 50-28 rebound advantage. Can the Jazz do the same on Friday?
"We've got to come out and play well every game," Hayward said. "These games are important to us for sure. We don't have many left. ... we have to play with urgency."
Twitter: @tribjazz —
Wizards at Jazz
P At Vivint Smart Home Arena
Tipoff • 7 p.m. TV • ROOT
Radio • 1280 AM, 97.5 FM
Records • Utah 46-29; Washington 46-29
Season series • Utah leads, 1-0
Last Meeting • Utah 102, Washington 92 (Feb. 26)
About the Wizards • Washington is fifth in the NBA, scoring 109.5 points per game. … The Wizards are playing their third game in four nights. … Bradley Beal now holds Washington's franchise record with 209 3-pointers this season. … Forward Markieff Morris was ejected in Thursday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers after two technical fouls. … All five Wizards starters average in double figures.
About the Jazz • They played without point guards George Hill and Raul Neto in Wednesday's win over the Sacramento Kings. … The Jazz have won two straight after losing four of their previous five games. … Rudy Gobert had his streak of 42 straight games with at least one blocked shot snapped Wednesday against the Kings. … Before this week, Shelvin Mack last played in a home loss to the Boston Celtics on Feb. 11. Mack last scored in double figures on Jan. 5, when he dropped in 17 points in a road loss to the Toronto Raptors.