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The Washington Wizards' 2022-23 campaign has had its fair share of lows. The Wizards, in early December, lost 10 straight games that seemed to drill the final nail into the coffin of what would be yet another disappointing season for them.
Since then, the Wizards have gone 17-10, including huge wins over the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks, and, most recently, a 20-point comeback against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They have a net rating of +4.1 since snapping their 10-game rut, which ranks sixth in the league during that span.
Now, the Wizards sit just two games below .500 with a 28-30 record – admirable, given how Bradley Beal has missed 22 games. Kristaps Porzingis is quietly posting the best, most efficient season of his career, Kyle Kuzma has been up to the task of shouldering the Wizards' offensive load, and their supporting cast, as uninspiring as it may be on first glance, consists of players that know their role and perform it to the best of their abilities.
Could the Wizards continue their strong play out of the All-Star break? Here are three bold predictions for how the Wizards' season will turn out following an eight-day hiatus.
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3. Delon Wright emerges as Washington's starting point guard
The Washington Wizards had a gaping hole at point guard during the 2021-22 campaign after they traded away Russell Westbrook. As a result, the Wizards signed Spencer Dinwiddie to, essentially, replace Westbrook as their starting point guard. Alas, the Wizards players ended up disliking Dinwiddie (with the feeling being mutual), and they dealt him away (along with Davis Bertans) for Kristaps Porzingis.
While adding Porzingis was a solid move, the Wizards' floor general situation returned to square one. Thus, adding a quality starting point guard became a point of emphasis once more for Washington during the offseason. They accomplished that by trading for Monte Morris in the deal that sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Denver Nuggets.
Morris was coming off a solid 2021-22 season filling in for Jamal Murray; an efficient point guard who takes care of the basketball and doesn't try to do too much, he looked like the perfect fit alongside Bradley Beal and company. Morris is also a reliable floor spacer, so he should still be able to contribute even when the ball is not on his hands.
But it's not too much of a stretch to say that another one of the Wizards offseason additions in 2022, Delon Wright, works even better for what Washington is trying to accomplish.
Wright is quietly putting together a stellar defensive season. In addition to his 2.0 steals per game, which would rank second in the league if he had played enough minutes to qualify, Wright is tallying 5.5 deflections per 36 minutes, a league best among players who have played at least 500 minutes. The 30-year old point guard also currently has a 3.8 Defensive Box Plus/Minus, which is among the league's best. Moreover, the Wizards have a 19-10 record when Wright has played.
Simply put, Wright gives the Wizards a terrific point-of-attack defender, strengthening the Wizards' defensive spine alongside Daniel Gafford. Thus, it won't come as a shock if Wright manages to claim the starting job within the Wizards' final 24 games. In turn, Monte Morris should also do well leading the second unit, as he could look to hunt for his shot more often when the Wizards' offensive stars are resting.
2. Bradley Beal ends the season on a tear
Bradley Beal's 2021-22 season was a write-off; he played in just 40 games after suffering a wrist injury. While Beal has still suffered a fair share of injury woes this season, the 29-year old shooting guard, by and large, has played well when he's on the court.
Beal's efficiency took a sharp turn for the worse last season; however, in 2022-23, he is currently posting a career-best true shooting percentage.
With a play-in berth well within their grasp, Bradley Beal should enter the final stretch of the regular season with a vengeance, as he continues to prove himself worthy of the supermax contract he signed in the offseason.
Beal has scored 30 or more points four times in his past six games; expect more of these scoring outbursts to come as Beal plays at a level reminiscent of his stellar 2020-21 season during the stretch run.
1. Wizards sneak into the 8-seed reminiscent of their 2020-21 season
Speaking of the 2020-21 season, the Wizards will end up sneaking into the playoffs as the eighth seed, similar to how they managed to come out victorious from two play-in games in 2021.
While that should only end ucp setting up a date against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, this should be a proud accomplishment nonetheless for a team that had an 11-20 record in mid-December.
Perhaps a competitive first-round series against the Celtics would convince Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis to re-up in DC as they try to build a winning team around Beal, who will be staying with the Wizards for the long haul.
