Sophomore guard John Wall brings an element of excitement and intrigue to the Wizards that they desperately needed. The belief is that he is going to carry them to prominence, regardless of what is put around him. Luckily for Wall, there are a lot of serviceable players on the roster right now including some young guys who have the potential to improve significantly just like him. If Jordan Crawford and Jan Vesely blow up, this Wizards team could make a run for one of the final playoff spots out East. However, it’s more likely that they take some lumps during 2011-2012 and help the Wizards out in a much bigger way come next year. Still, this team is on the rise with some good things going for them.

4th Place, Southeast Division

- Yannis Koutroupis

The Wizards definitely have some nice young pieces, and they’ll be looking for more from Rashard Lewis this season. Still, for them to be markedly better they’re going to need players like John Wall, Nick Young, Jordan Crawford and Andre Blatche to take the next step . . .and maybe even a couple after that. The future looks bright for the Wizards, but the future is still at least a season or two away.

4th Place – Southeast Division

- Bill Ingram

John Wall is very, very fun to watch, and this looks like the year when everybody really is forced to commit Nick Young’s name to memory, but they didn’t amnesty Rashard Lewis for some reason, and the heart of players like Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee, despite their talent, is still a concern. There are some really good rookies in place here—Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton, Shelvin Mack—but the success of this team will come at the same pace of Wall’s development. He’s perhaps the most promising of the up-and-coming point guards, and he’ll need to step up for his team to make any kind of mark this season. I see that being a struggle, no matter how good Wall is.

4th Place, Southeast Division

- Joel Brigham

The Washington Wizards won’t win a lot of games but the team’s flashy backcourt trio of John Wall, Nick Young and Jordan Crawford will create plenty of havoc for opposing teams all season long. The team will rely on veteran forward Rashard Lewis to serve as leader on and off the court as the young core learns on the fly. Wall entered training camp saying he now knows what it takes to win in the league after a strong rookie campaign. But there’s a difference between knowing what to do as opposed to getting your teammates to do what’s needed. The 2012 season will be one of growth for the Wizards and another year of gaining experience for Washington’s youth movement.

4th Place, Southeast Division

- Lang Greene

Few players were as active during the lockout as John Wall. The 21-year-old worked out every day and played pick-up games across the country. If he’s able to take his game to the next level this season, the Wizards could surprise some people. Wall gathered his teammates in Las Vegas and had them compete in Impact Basketball’s lockout league, which could give them an edge over other teams after the condensed offseason and preseason. Washington likely won’t compete for a playoff spot with so many talented teams in the East, but they will show improvement and take a step in the right direction.

4th Place, Southeast Division

- Alex Kennedy

Top Offensive Player: The Wizards should be able to put points on the board this season. They have several excellent offensive players, including Wall and Andray Blatche, but no one is more explosive than Nick Young. Young led the Wizards in scoring last year with over 17 points per game on 44% shooting from the field, almost 39% shooting from behind the arc and over 81% from the free throw line. Young is entering his fifth year in the league, and after signing the team’s qualifying offer, he will have extra motivation to take his game to the next level and earn a long-term deal next offseason.

Top Defensive Player: The Wizards only have one player who can protect the rim, Javale McGee. Last season he was the only regular to block more than one shot per game, he averaged 2.4. He was also second on the team in total rebounds and defensive rebounds per game. In his attempt to block more shots, McGee is often out of position on defense. When it works, it leads to a highlight, but too often McGee picks up a cheap foul and he often spends most of the game struggling with foul trouble. For McGee to take the next step defensively, he needs to pick and choose his spots better for blocking shots, and he needs to stay out of foul trouble so he can stay on the floor.

Top Playmaker: Last year’s runner-up in the rookie of the year, John Wall, led the team with over eight assists per game, good for 6th in the league. Wall averaged more assists last season than future hall of famer Jason Kidd and league MVP Derrick Rose. Wall missed 13 games last season with injury, but still managed to be one of the top playmakers in the NBA. There are few players that can keep up with Wall in the open court and it’s not unreasonable for him to make another leap this year and possibly even challenge Nash and Rondo as the top playmakers in the game.

Top Clutch Player: The Wizards ended last season with a record of 9-6 in games decided by five points or less. Much of that success rests on the shoulders of Wall. Wall led the team in clutch scoring (4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points) and was in the top 20 in the league in clutch assists. Wall is going to be the team’s primary ball handler in clutch situations and it’s a good sign with all the offensive weapons the Wizards have, that he is such a willing passer when the game is on the line.

The Unheralded Player: Rashard Lewis isn’t worth $20 million a season, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a solid NBA player. Lewis gets a bad rap because he is overpaid, but he helps spread the floor by consistently knocking down the open three, he is a willing defender and is a quality presence in the locker room. Lewis isn’t a superstar, so it’s understandable fans and media get upset that he is paid like one, but that doesn’t mean he can’t help a team win. It was only three years ago that he was the second best player on an Orlando Magic team that made it to the Finals and that talent is still there.

Best New Addition: Jan Vesely is a 6’11’’, 21-year-old who can play either the small forward or power forward position. Vesely will be able to fill the lane when Wall gets out on the break and his length will be a great addition to a team that needs shot blockers and paint protectors. Vesely is likely a few years away from reaching his potential, but he should be able to crack the Wizards rotation this season.

- Mark Nugent

1. Andray Blatche: He often seems disinterested on defense, but he can carry the Wizards on certain nights with his offense. Blatche has the ability to post-up smaller defenders and take the bigger defenders out on the perimeter where he can use his quickness to get to the basket. Blatche can at times be a black hole, but if head coach Flip Saunders can harness his offensive firepower, Blatche could be one of the more efficient scoring forwards in the league.

2. Flip Saunders: When Sauders took over the Wizards in the summer of 2009, he thought he would be helping Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison return to the playoffs. Instead, the team was devastated by injuries and a ‘gun incident’ that led to all three Wizards stars being traded. Now Saunders is in the midst of a long rebuilding project and trying to help the Wizards get back to respectability. All the while, Saunders has been a true professional and has proven committed to being a part of the rebuilding process instead of demanding to be let out of his contract, like so many other coaches in the past.

3. Jordan Crawford: Another one of the Wizards excellent offensive options, Crawford averaged over 16 points per game after being acquired by the Wizards from the Atlanta Hawks. Crawford is a 6’4’’ shooting guard who should provide instant offense off the Wizards bench.

4. Chris Singleton: With the 18th pick in the 2011 draft the Wizards choose a defensive specialist out of Florida State University. The 6’9’’ Singleton has a 7’1’’ wingspan that helped him average two steals per game and 1.5 blocks in his final season at Florida State. While his offense leaves something to be desired, his ability to get out on the fast break and his defensive presence should be enough to earn him a spot in the rotation.

5. Maurice Evans: The 33-year-old veteran spent this past offseason helping negotiate a new Collective Bargaining Agreement as the Vice President of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). He sacrificed his offseason, his summer, for the betterment of the NBPA. Anyone who is willing to give up their time for the good of his co-workers deserves a special mention. On top of that, Evans is a career 36.3% three-point shooter and last year shot over 93% from the free throw line for the Wizards. Evans will be able to provide veteran leadership on one of the younger teams in the NBA.

- Mark Nugent

The Wizards’ strength lies in their young legs. Wall, Blatche, Young, Crawford, Singelton and Vesely are all 25 or younger. The key for the Wizards is going to be getting those guys out on the break and letting them run some of the older teams into the ground. Wall is one of the fastest players in the NBA and it is crucial he controls the pace of the game for the Wizards. If the Wizards get into a half court battle on most nights, they are going to be on the wrong end of a lot of low scoring games. However, if they can push the tempo and get the score into the 100s or even 110s, the team’s youth and athleticism should help them improve on last season’s record.

- Mark Nugent

The Wizards weren’t known as a defensive team last season, in fact they gave up almost 105 points per game, good for 7th worst in the league. They also allowed opponents to shoot better than 47% from the field, also good for 7th worst in the league. The easiest way for the Wizards to get back to respectability is for their team and individual defense to improve dramatically. Indifferent defenders like Blatche, Young and Crawford need to take it upon themselves to turn the Wizards into a two-way team. McGee can protect the rim, and Wall should be near the league lead in steals, but none of that will matter if the rest of the team isn’t rotating and playing good help defense.

- Mark Nugent

Race, race, race the ball up the floor constantly. My goal is for us to be the best running team in the league this year. We have one of, if not the, fastest point guards in the league. John, it is your responsibility to be that fast every single night. You have to force tempo and make sure that guys know they will not get the ball unless they run with you. The rest is quite frankly on them. We know JaVale will run – Andray, are you going to make the commitment? If you do, we can make some modest improvements on last year. The real key to major growth, however, is how we perform on the defensive end in terms of our rotations, especially out of our frontcourt. That has to be cleaned up so we can occasionally get a stop and then get out in transition to score going the other way. Let’s have some fun!

- Anthony Macri

Can John Wall Make the Leap to All-Star?

The Wizards are John Wall’s team and for them to take the next step Wall needs to go from promising rookie to all-star as soon as possible. Everything the Wizards are building is predicated on Wall’s continued improvement. He’s shown flashes of stardom, like during his third game of the season last year when he dished out 13 assists and scored 29 points to help lead the Wizards to victory over the playoff bound Philadelphia 76ers. For Wall to make that next leap he must cut down on his turnovers, he averaged 3.8 per game last season, and improve his field goal percentage. Wall shot only 41% from the field last year and only 29% from behind the arc. The talent is there, now it’s up to Wall to prove his isn’t just hype, but he is one of the top point guards in the NBA.

- Mark Nugent