At 24-40, the Washington Wizards have struggled this season, but without an injured John Wall, many did not expect Washington to have a lot of success. However, with the invitation to Orlando for the NBA restart, Washington probably has a better chance of making the playoffs than they did back in March.
The 9th-seeded Wizards are currently 5.5 games behind the 8th-seeded Orlando Magic(30-35) for the final spot in the playoffs. If the season weren’t suspended due to COVID-19, Washington would have had to make up 5.5 games with 18 games remaining, which would have been relatively impossible. Fortunately for Washington, all they need to do now is get within four games of the Magic to be eligible to compete in a play-in tournament.
While the Wizards have a shot at the playoffs, some believe that this team should not be in Orlando, but according to Washington C Thomas Bryant, the team will prove a lot of people wrong.
“People are going say what they want to say,” Bryant said via a video call with the media on Wednesday. “They’ll see when we get down to Orlando that we have all been improving, and you’ll see a spark from us. So, people are going to say what they want to say. It’s the freedom of speech. People have the right to say what they want, but for me, personally, they will be eating those words.”
No one knows what to expect when the NBA returns. Who knows what players will be in shape, and who knows how teams will mesh after being away for so long, so if Washington has Bradley Beal on the court, who is undecided about whether he will play in Orlando, anything could happen.
Also, what could favor the Wizards is what’s happening with the 7th-seeded Brooklyn Nets(30-34). This team will head to Orlando without Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan(team’s leading rebounder), and Wilson Chandler. Furthermore, there is some uncertainty about Spencer Dinwiddie’s availability(team’s leading scorer), who tested positive for COVID-19 and is reportedly symptomatic. Washington is currently six games behind Brooklyn.
What will happen in Orlando is anybody’s guess, but to be one of the 22 teams invited is a win for Washington.
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