2009-10 Washington Wizards Predictions
Written October 26, 2009 by Jack Jones
There are a lot of people really high on the Washington Wizards this season, but it’s tough for me to really get behind a team that won 19 games a year ago and call them a contender. Sure Gilbert Arena played in only two games, but Antawn Jamison was there for 81 and Caron Butler played in 67. The moves they did make to trade for Randy Foye and Mike Miller are not bad at all, but not exactly a blockbuster that is going to take them over the top. The NBA odds makers seem to agree with me as the season total win projections come in at 41.5 for this team. The Wizards are 35-to-1 to win the Eastern Conference and 80-to-1 to win the NBA Finals. If you are going to be doing any NBA betting this season then make sure you look to take advantage of the $500 in FREE bonus money offered by BetUS!
Backcourt
Arenas is the best scorer on the team and will run the point. All indications are that his knee is back to full strength and that he has been playing like his former self. The Wizards set themselves up though with a quality backup in Foye just in case. Foye was limited to 70 games but did score 16.3 ppg a year ago. He fits into the Arenas mode of being an aggressive scorer. You’ll probably see both of those players on the floor at the same time, and at shooting guard you’ll probably see Mike Miller. He shoots well from the outside and grabs 6.6 rebounds per game. Mike James and Nick Young are a couple of other guys to watch coming off the bench. Young needs a big year as he was once supposed to be the answer at the off-guard spot.
Frontcourt
Caron Butler just keeps getting better and better as he led the team in total assists a year ago while scoring nearly 21 per contest. He has a balanced game and was the leader of the squad last year. Antawn Jamison is hurt to start the beginning of the year, but when he’s back in the lineup he’s a solid option at power forward. A year ago he put up 22.2 ppg while grabbing 8.9 rebounds. At center there are enough able bodies, just none of them really stand out. Brendon Haywood works hard, but isn’t going to put up great numbers. Fabricio Oberto is a low-cost backup option, but the future lies with Javale McGee. The seven footer out of Nevada played great in the Summer League and the Wizards are hoping he breaks out in his second year.
Summary
The Wizards do have three stars in Arenas, Jamison, and Butler, but this team doesn’t play enough defense and is weak down low. That should make their games fun to watch, but when they matchup against the Celtics, Cavs, and Magic they are going to have problems. With my NBA predictions I see this team battling it out with the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks, but ending up fourth in the Southeast Division. If you want winning NBA picks each night of the season, pick up a subscription from our experts.
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