With Love Out, Can the Wizards Become EC Champs?

[closg00]

Love is out for the 6 weeks, can we be Eastern Conference Champs?

[Doug_Blew]

I don't think the Wizards can make up a 5 game deficit on Cleveland unless Lebron is out. And Love should be back for the playoffs.

[J-Ves]

I'll go with no. The Wiz have a road heavy 2nd half of the year with multiple west coast road trips. It's going to be heard enough to keep their current seed position never mind making up ground on Boston and Cleveland. Plus, I think Channing Frye will be a serviceable replacement for Love.

[krii]

I love the idea of voting 'yes', 'no' and 'maybe' at the same time. That is my choice then!

[sfam]

Given Toronto's recent acquisition, I think Boston goes to #1, Toronto goes to #2, Cleveland drops to #3, and we sit at #4.

EDIT: I'd be thrilled with this outcome, of course.

[nate33]

I just took another look at the schedule and I now feel the need to go full PIF-mode black pill on you guys.

16 of our last 22 games are on the road! Ouch. And we also have the misfortune of not playing any tanking teams during the final 4 games or so. We play teams like Miami and Detroit, who will be clawing for playoff seeding.

Two months ago, that many road games would surely have resulted in a terrible record. I think now we're good enough to play .500 ball over that stretch, but I don't see us maintaining the blistering .667 win pace we've maintained since Game 11. We're going to lose some ground.

[tontoz]

Doubtful. When Avery Bradley comes back Boston becomes more formidable. Toronto just got better adding Ibaka.

[Upper Decker]

Boston also has legit assets to acquire an impactful player, perhaps even a star level player, without disrupting their core. Our best trade chip is Nicholson and Burke...

[nate33]

Doubtful. When Avery Bradley comes back Boston becomes more formidable. Toronto just got better adding Ibaka.

I'm still not all that concerned about Toronto. They lost a decent player in Terrence Ross in the deal; Ibaka is overrated; and Lowry always falters down the stretch because his body can't hold up.

I think we've got a 50/50 shot of staying ahead of them. We won't catch Boston though.

[nate33]

Given Toronto's recent acquisition, I think Boston goes to #1, Toronto goes to #2, Cleveland drops to #3, and we sit at #4.

EDIT: I'd be thrilled with this outcome, of course.

Hmmm. I never considered Cleveland falling out of the #1 slot. That's a great point.

I think Boston catches Cleveland, but they remain at #2. So it would be:

1. Boston
2. Cleveland
3. Toronto
4. Washington
5. Atlanta

3, 4 and 5 are a tossup though.

[J-Ves]

I just took another look at the schedule and I now feel the need to go full PIF-mode black pill on you guys.

16 of our last 22 games are on the road! Ouch. And we also have the misfortune of not playing any tanking teams during the final 4 games or so. We play teams like Miami and Detroit, who will be clawing for playoff seeding.

Two months ago, that many road games would surely have resulted in a terrible record. I think now we're good enough to play .500 ball over that stretch, but I don't see us maintaining the blistering .667 win pace we've maintained since Game 11. We're going to lose some ground.

I see 14-14 as the Wizards floor and 19-9 as their ceiling over their last 28 assuming they improve their bench by the deadline and have reasonably good health the rest of the way, which admittedly are big assumptions. Spiting the difference puts them at 49 or 50 wins to end the season which will likely be right at that 3-4 seed spot.

[stevemcqueen1]

If Love is back for the playoffs and isn't rusty, then Cleveland will beat us. If he's not, then We've got a real chance at beating them. They had thin front court depth and this injury will be very damaging for them. I think Derrick Williams is now their only bench big.

[sfam]

Given Toronto's recent acquisition, I think Boston goes to #1, Toronto goes to #2, Cleveland drops to #3, and we sit at #4.

EDIT: I'd be thrilled with this outcome, of course.

Hmmm. I never considered Cleveland falling out of the #1 slot. That's a great point.

I think Boston catches Cleveland, but they remain at #2. So it would be:

1. Boston
2. Cleveland
3. Toronto
4. Washington
5. Atlanta

3, 4 and 5 are a tossup though.

Even a 5th place finish is fine. To me the goal is to meet Cleveland in the conference finals. That should be the goal, if such a goal exists. This is more important than higher seeding for obvious reasons.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

What's Love got to do with it?

We're going all the way.

[payitforward]

What's Love got to do with it?

We're going all the way.

You're getting over-excited. What's Love but a second round emotion?

[CobraCommander]

Given Toronto's recent acquisition, I think Boston goes to #1, Toronto goes to #2, Cleveland drops to #3, and we sit at #4.

EDIT: I'd be thrilled with this outcome, of course.

Hmmm. I never considered Cleveland falling out of the #1 slot. That's a great point.

I think Boston catches Cleveland, but they remain at #2. So it would be:

1. Boston
2. Cleveland
3. Toronto
4. Washington
5. Atlanta

3, 4 and 5 are a tossup though.

Even a 5th place finish is fine. To me the goal is to meet Cleveland in the conference finals. That should be the goal, if such a goal exists. This is more important than higher seeding for obvious reasons.

Im going with Yes we can.

It seems improbable but the team i saw that pushed a healthy and movtivated Lebron, Kevin and Kyrie to the brink while they played amazing games...and it still took a lucky 3 from BronBron to push it to OT that Beat down OKC, Indiana, Atlanta, Charlotte and Boston recently...plus some of the games they won were ones were Wall or Beal were having off nights- I dont know guys...but this team looks like they ARE the best team in the east (at home). Im looking at the capability of the Wiz when playing their B game and it appears that they can beat damn near anyone and thier A game is formidable enough to beat anyone but possibly a locked in warriors team firing on all cylinders (at home). On the road, it remains to be seen if they have that same "dont stop get it get it" that they have at home. Im saying that if they play close to what they play like on the road like they do at home...why the hell cant they over take Toronto and Boston. I think Cleveland is going to have to start sitting Lebron if they really want to compete with the warriors in the finals. So no Lebron and No Love would mean Clevland is conseeding the the first spot. I am not worried about Toronto because I think we have to believe at the 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 we are better than them...period. They are our sworn enemies after PP called Game on those dudes... Boston got buried with the funeral game... so that makes us first. Book it Dano!

[Mojo Amok]

What's Love got to do with it?

We're going all the way.

Especially with David West being day to day with a thumb contusion.

I think we can see a clear path to the championship opening up.

[sfam]

Korver is looking amazing with Cleveland. He may negate a good bit of the Love loss.

[queridiculo]

Wizards dug too big of a hole to start the season to challenge, and there's always a chance that we're going to lose a few key players for a stretch.

Washington will probably struggle to finish 4th when it's all said and done, that final stretch of road games is simply brutal.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

What's Love got to do with it?

We're going all the way.

You're getting over-excited. What's Love but a second round emotion?

Well, if we traded away our 1st round pick, we could really get someone who could help us make some noise. Of course, we'd miss out on the chance to draft Jason Hart.

But heck with it, the window is open, let's go for it.

After all, Hart has shown signs of being injury prone. Who needs a Hart when a Hart can be broken?