Goal 1. Reach the Eastern Conference Finals

Every NBA team’s goal in any given season is to be the ones lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy in June. The Wizards may not be able to do that this season, but they can take another big step towards eventually making that dream a reality. In the 2016-17 season, the Wizards lost a heartbreaking game 7 to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Celtics were swept by the Cavaliers, and the numbers suggest that Washington could have at least made things a little more interesting. The Wizards went 1-2 in the regular season against the Cavs, but both losses were by single digits. The teams played in one of the better regular season games in recent memory, an overtime thriller in DC that the Cavs barely escaped with a victory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAhO8oY5q6M

The Wizards have proven time and time again over the last few seasons that they can hold their own against the elite of the Eastern Conference. In the 2017-18 season, they beat the Celtics three out of the four times they played them, including twice on the road. One of the wins even came without John Wall, though the Celtics had their own well-documented issues with injuries last season.

The Wizards have advanced to the second round in three of the last five seasons, and there’s no reason to believe that they can’t take the next step, especially in a season like this. It’s not unreasonable to suggest that the Wizards can at least hang with the Celtics, 76ers or Raptors, the three teams many believe will be the class of the conference this season.

If that’s the case, what’s stopping them from doing what the franchise hasn’t done in 40 years? The Wizards have the talent and the track record to be among the East’s elite. Now it’s time to prove it.