2015-16 NBA Season Preview: Washington Wizards

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Washington Wizards

2014-15

Offseason Roundup

• Re-signed Drew Gooden (1/$3.3M)

Projected Starting 5

• PG John Wall
• SG Bradley Beal
• SF Otto Porter
• PF Kris Humphries
• C Marcin Gortat

MVP: John Wall

John Wall's approach to the game was far more disciplined in 2014-15. The 25-year-old point guard cut down his shot attempts (16.3 to 14.8) and boosted his assist numbers to double digits for the first time in his career at 10 per game (second in the NBA).

He maintained his electrifying up-and-down velocity, drawing in defenders as a drive-and-kick speed demon for the ninth-ranked 3-point-shooting squad in basketball (36 percent). When he wasn't dropping dimes, Wall shined as a finisher around the basket, hitting 60.3 percent of his attempts from five feet or closer (fourth among qualified guards).

Bad things happened when Wall wasn't on the floor. Washington scored 5.4 more points per 100 possessions when Wall played last season, while allowing 6.9 fewer points on the defensive end.

Needless to say, the two-time All-Star's presence is heavily linked to Washington's success.

Breakout Player: Otto Porter

Otto Porter burst onto the scene during Washington's playoff run, providing the team with reliable minutes in the frontcourt after being an afterthought during the regular season.

He'll step in as the new starting small forward after Paul Pierce joined the Los Angeles Clippers, and also tally time at the four-spot as Washington embraces more of a small-ball mentality.

Porter may be on a short leash with Jared Dudley, Alan Anderson, and rookie Kelly Oubre in the picture, but Wizards fans need not worry about the 22-year-old failing to build on his productive postseason campaign.

The offense will continue to run through Wall and Bradley Beal, limiting Porter's upside in terms of how much he scores on a game-to-game basis. The 6-foot-8 forward can still make an impact when the ball isn't in his hands, though, especially on the defensive end: The team gave up 10.2 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the floor during the playoffs.

Season Expectations

Washington is capable of so much more than its recent regular-season records indicate, but poor stretches, injuries, and inconsistencies in execution resulted in the team once again falling short of the 50-win mark this past year.

The No. 5 seed meets the No. 1 seed in potential second-round playoff matchups, which is how the Wizards have met their demise each of the last two seasons. A higher seed in 2015-16 would provide a more serene pathway to the Eastern Conference finals - the next logical step for a squad that hasn't advanced that deep since 1978-79.

The Wizards ranked 18th in pace (93.7 possessions per 48 minutes). That number should rise sans Pierce, whom Wall openly acknowledged as a big reason why the team didn't push the tempo. The Toronto Raptors were thoroughly dismantled by Washington's smaller, faster lineups - a strategy head coach Randy Wittman needs to continue deploying now that he has added personnel to do so.

Any chance the franchise has of signing soon-to-be free agent Kevin Durant rides on its performance in the upcoming season. Washington's roster doesn't scream "championship contender" without him. They're arguably the third-best team in the Southeast Division behind the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat (when healthy), lowering their ceiling for the 2015-16 season as they head towards a similar 46-win, second-round exit once again.