Why the Washington Wizards could pull off a late playoff push

During the first half of the season, the Washington Wizards were one of the worst teams in the NBA, but since the start of April, the Wizards are 10-5 and have won 8 of their last 10 games. Washington is one of the hottest teams in the league and with two superstar players in their backcourt, they currently find themselves as the 10-seed in the Eastern Conference. 

The job Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal have done to put this team on their backs is quite remarkable and we will touch on exactly the kind of seasons both of these All-Stars are having this season shortly. 

READ MORE: NBA Trade Rumors: 3 offseason targets that would take the Wizards to the next level

With not much overall talent on their roster and the fact that they are terrible defensively, it seems like the Wizards should be a team that will not make it very far come playoff time, but they have found ways to win games as of late and are definitely a team that nobody wants to play right now. 

Losing rookie Deni Avdija to a season-ending injury definitely hurts this team’s overall production and with Rui Hachimura also out, the Wizards are thin in their frontcourt, but others have stepped up their game and have been productive over the last month. 

Now, let’s dive into three reasons why the Wizards could pull off a late playoff push and ultimately wind up having a shot to get the 8-seed through the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference. 

Kuzma’s Late Heroics Lead Wizards to 112-109 Win vs. Raptors

The Washington Wizards edged out the Toronto Raptors 112-109 during Saturday’s NBA action, exacerbating Toronto’s losing streak to ten games. Deni Avdija‘s double-double and Kyle

Kuzma Propels Wizards to 109-102 Victory Over Kings

The Washington Wizards found their form to halt a five-game losing streak by defeating the Sacramento Kings 109-102 during Thursday’s NBA action. Kyle Kuzma‘s outstanding

Green’s Career-High 42 Points Leads Rockets’ 137-114 Victory Over Wizards

Jalen Green‘s spectacular performance, tying a career-high with 42 points, propelled the Houston Rockets to a 137-114 victory over the Washington Wizards during Tuesday’s NBA