The flurry of offseason activity involving Eastern Conference teams had experts abuzz over the prospects of several teams for the 2004-2005 season.
The Miami Heat<$> brought in Shaq, arguably the most dominant player in league history. The New York Knicks<$> acquired Jamal Crawford, and the Orlando Magic<$> sent Tracy McGrady to Houston<$> in exchange for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato. The Chicago Bulls<$> had their exciting young players, the Indiana Pacers<$> got another scorer in Stephen Jackson, and phenom Lebron James had a year of experience under his belt for the Cleveland Cavaliers<$>.
The team that most pundits seemed to overlook was the Washington Wizards<$>. In one of the best offseason moves by any team, the Wiz sent Jerry Stackhouse, Christian Laettner, and first-round draft pick Devin Harris to the Dallas Mavericks<$> in exchange for forward Antawn Jamison and cash considerations. Despite being one of the Wizards' better scoring options, Stackhouse was often prone to turnovers and a low field goal percentage. The team already has Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes in the backcourt, making Stackhouse and his expensive contract unnecessary. By acquiring Jamison, the Wizards have reunited three former Golden State Warriors in Washington, and the results thus far have been more than satisfactory.
Arenas, Hughes and Jamison are all in the top 25 in the league in scoring, with Arenas leading the team at 24 points per game. Hughes in particular is having the best season of his career, averaging career highs in rebounds, assists, and steals, a category in which he leads the league. Hughes and Arenas each dish out five assists per game in addition to their scoring contributions. Jamison has given the team the versatility it lacked at the power forward spot, with 17 double-doubles so far this season. The three former Warriors have given Washington's opponents difficult match-ups at several positions.
Washington's big three have had help from several teammates. Center Brendan Haywood may only be scoring nine points per game, but he is 10th in the NBA in blocks per game and is the team leader in field goal percentage, hitting 53.3 percent of his shots. The team rotates Juan Dixon, Jared Jeffries and Jarvis Hayes into the rotation as well, who combine to put up about 25 points per night.
As that might suggest, the Wiz are getting the job done by putting up points. They are second only to the high-flying Phoenix Suns in points per game, averaging 102.4 each night. However, their team defense is less than perfect, allowing a league-worst 101.5 points per night. Despite this, they are still 26-17, good enough for fourth place in the Eastern Conference at this point.
The Wizards were dealt a serious blow to their team when the surging Hughes fractured his right thumb in a victory over Phoenix<$> on Jan. 15. He'll miss four to six weeks of action, and Washington will be hard-pressed to replace all of his contributions on a nightly basis. They have had some players stepping up, and are 4-4 so far in Hughes' absence. Tough upcoming match-ups with the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs will test the Wizards' depth and consistency.
Arenas, Hughes and Jamison are top-flight players that could be starters on virtually any NBA roster at their respective positions. That can't be said for Washington's power forward and center. Although Antawn has the ability to play at either the small forward or power forward spot, whichever spot he vacates represents a relative weakness for Washington. Kwame Brown, the No.1 draft pick out of high school in 2001, has not yet lived up to the hype and now is no more than a backup big man. Hayes and Jeffries have shined at times, and could ultimately be solutions at small forward, but whether or not that will play out remains to be seen. Haywood, despite his defensive abilities at center, is not a very reliable scoring option in the low post, allowing defenses to focus on Washington's three key players who mostly operate closer to the perimeter.
Washington is off to a better start than most people expected. However, with Hughes' injury and their defensive shortcomings, the Wizards may have a tough road ahead. An ugrade in the frontcourt could help the Wiz contend for the top spot in the East. Before they can worry about that, they need to navigate the difficult upcoming weeks until Larry Hughes returns full-strength. Despite Hughes' absence, the Wizards should be securely in the playoffs, and, when healthy, have the potential to shake things up in the Eastern Conference.
