FanPost

Why the Wizards shouldn't lower the bar for the 2015-16 season

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

For many, the 2015-16 season is simply a prerequisite to the 2016 free agency bonanza and the courtship of Kevin Durant.

While this holds a grain of truth, the notion that the Wizards are trapped in a basketball version of purgatory (a/k/a "The Treadmill of Mediocrity") as they await the summer is false. The ultimate goal is indeed to secure the PG County native and induce a LeBron-like homecoming return (minus the note hopefully), but this year will prove to be the most pivotal season for the Wizards in recent memory.

Basketball is rejuvenating in the nation’s capital. After a series of God-awful, gut-wrenching, Javale McGee and (pre Swaggy P) Nick Young blooper filled seasons, the Wizards have built a solid foundation through patience (losing) and smart draft picks (I’m looking at you Jan Vesely).

Thus, Washington has entered the past 2 seasons with real expectations beyond moral victories. Their young backcourt stacks up with the best in the NBA, and they have quietly surrounded these young stars with a solid supporting cast. However, because of this the bar can no longer be set low. Instead, there must be progress and real evidence of development beyond Paul Pierce and his old man playoff heroics.

It is no secret that the Eastern conference is far inferior to the West. Lebron’s team in Cleveland will enter the season as the heavy favorites to take the conference. But after that, the second spot is up in the air. Beyond all the trash at the bottom of the conference and the mediocrity in between, teams like Atlanta, Chicago, and Miami will all join Washington in the race to claim this spot. This year must be the year that the Wizards make the leap and take undisputed control of 2nd place in the East. To challenge Cleveland, the Wizards must first prove that they are here to stay and take the necessary steps in order to occupy more than the middle of the pack that they have inhabited in past seasons.

Next season is when John Wall will have to grow into the main leadership position; a position that he hasn’t had to fill thus far in his career. So far, he has either been too young (surrounded by trash) or had an established veteran voice in the locker room to take charge of this role. But with the loss of Paul Pierce, the team is his now.

As a top 5 point guard, he must be a vocal leader off of the court as well as the floor general on the court. We will learn if he has what it takes to "do it every single night, not just when you feel like it" as Pierce vocalized in an ESPN interview. So far, he has been on the record saying he is ready to take the new challenge head on and spearhead this team to another level.

Furthermore, it’s now on Wall and Beal to show they can be an explosive duo in the backcourt night in and night out. They’re one of the 5 youngest backcourts in the league, and the most talented of these young backcourts. Wall has proven he is a superstar in this league, finishing 2nd in assists and a member of the 2nd team all-NBA defensive team (also robbed of a spot on the All-NBA ballots. I’m looking at you Kyrie).

The only question with Beal remains whether he can stay healthy. When he’s at 100%, we’ve seen what he is capable of. He averaged 23.4 ppg in the playoffs last year, and stepped up in a huge way without Wall in the lineup. With the two of them, the Wizards will always be in the hunt in the East, and the uncertainty lies in the performances of the players who surround them next season.

While the void of Paul Pierce in the locker room cannot be understated, his role on the court would have diminished regardless of what team he elected to join this offseason. Last season he averaged a career low in points and minutes per game, and both would have continued to decrease this season as well.

Due to this, Otto Porter would have already been set to receive a larger role this season. However, the question remains: is he the 10 and 8 man we saw in his breakout playoff run, or is he still the unconfident player that Paul Pierce talked about punching in the face to rile him up? When you look at him, simply his physical frame alone is promising enough to see potential (if you’re willing to look past the fact that he’s a pencil in the ear and tightly strapped backpack away from looking like he’s a college student in the middle of finals week).

With his long wingspan, Porter comes equipped with the skills to slash to the bucket, defend the perimeter, and shoot spotting up as we saw in the playoffs. The former #3 pick of the draft has a lot to show to prove he is ready to be an NBA force, but this season is there for his taking. He has solidified his spot in the rotation, and with the backing of Wittman there is no reason to believe that he won’t excel in his newfound role in the starting five.

The offseason acquisition of Jared Dudley is huge. He is an established veteran leader who does all of the stereotypical "little things" that it takes to be a contender in this league. He has the skills to shoot the 3 ball, hitting 39% from beyond the arc last season. He will also continue the development of Porter and bring the versatility to play both the 3 and the trendy stretch 4.

Dudley's ability to make threes will drastically improve the floor spacing of the Wizards, opening up lanes for John Wall to create off of the pick and roll game and allowing shooters to spot up from 3 (Not you Drew Gooden). While he wont start there, he can give the Wizards a solid 15-20 minutes there per game and provide the Wizards more flexibility to go with a small ball lineup if they need to (or if Nene forgets how to play basketball again). Combine him with Alan Anderson’s 34% and Gary Neal’s 38% career 3 point shooting numbers and the Wizards offseason plan B proves to be an effective one.

Speaking of Nene, don’t be surprised if Wittman elects to treat him in a similar fashion that Steve Kerr did with David Lee last season. If a better opportunity arises and one of the wings proves to be more successful in the starting 5, Nene could very well have to adjust to a new role. Whether he embraces this hypothetical change in the harmonious way that David Lee did will remain to be seen. He is still a valuable member of this team (or in the trade market, but is a dying breed in a small ball league. As the Wizards adjust, he may be forced to do the same.

Washington cannot afford to look at the upcoming season as an irrelevant period before the arrival of our Lord and Savior Kevin Durant. As we saw with DeAndre Jordan, anything can happen during NBA free agency. To put all of our eggs in one Kevin Durant sized basket is foolish. If the Durantula decides in time that he intends to return home, then there isn’t a single Wizards (or bandwagon) fan who wouldn’t want this to happen.

But in the meantime, there are legitimate pieces in place on the current roster. With the right blend of chemistry, skill, and leadership, it is a group that can be a pleasant surprise and the foundation for continued growth and future success, as well as the establishment of a winning culture of hoops in D.C.

This represents the view of the user who wrote the FanPost, and not the entire Bullets Forever community. We're a place of many opinions, not just one.