Goal 3. Improve Their Regular Season Record

The Wizards won 43 games last season and were only four games ahead of the 9th place Detroit Pistons in the East. That means that if a couple of games went the wrong way, they could very well have been on the outside looking in when it comes to a spot in the postseason.

With the East being so closely matched this season, there will be much less of a margin for error. To avoid worrying about even making the playoffs, the Wizards should seek to ensure qualification by improving their record.

The simple addition of a full season of John Wall should help Washington win a few more games. In 2017-18, a season in which he played 78 games, Wall was the Wizards’ leader in points per game, assists per game, steals per game, and minutes per game. Any team would miss a player with that much of an impact, one that is so integral to any potential success.

Bradley Beal, Wall’s partner in the backcourt, was a large part of the reason the Wizards made the playoffs in his absence last season. Beal had a career year, leading the Wizards in scoring and playing all 82 games. He even made the All-Star team for the first time in his career.

If the Wizards can keep Beal’s production at the same level while also integrating Wall back into the team in his usual way, it will likely mean good things in Washington this season.

Next Up: Goal 2