Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
Friday, December 17, 2004, Washington Post

Wizards: A Magical Season or an Illusion?

Don't look now, but the Washington Wizards have one of the best records in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association, with 12 wins and 8 losses. That's right, the hapless, hard-luck Wizards are winning.

Every year, the team tries try something different: new players, a new coach, a new name (years ago they were called the Bullets). And every year, things fall apart. The Wizards even brought in Michael Jordan. But the fabulous Mr. Jordan, maybe the greatest basketball player ever, couldn't get the Wizards into the playoffs. It's like the team is jinxed.

The Wizards haven't been in the playoffs since 1997. That's terrible, because more than half the teams in the NBA make the playoffs each year. What's worse is that lots of kids around Washington have never seen their Wizards play in the NBA's biggest games.

Well, this season could be different. The Wizards have three star players who might lead the team to the promised land of the playoffs:

Antawn Jamison can score without taking a lot of shots. He rebounds, plays tough defense and sets a good example for the Wizards' younger players.

Gilbert Arenas is a super-quick guard who can make baskets in bunches. Arenas is young (22) and sometimes plays a bit out of control, but, boy, is he exciting.

Larry Hughes, Arenas's backcourt running mate, can do a little of everything: shoot, rebound and pass. He also leads the NBA in steals, averaging more than three swipes a game.

With Jamison, Arenas and Hughes, the Wizards can play with any team in the league and are super fun to watch. But like most teams, the Wizards will need some "big guys" to come through if they want to play with the NBA's best. This year, unlike most others, the Wizards may have one. Brendan Haywood has been a big surprise. The seven-footer from North Carolina has been a much more consistent scorer and rebounder than in the past.

If Kwame Brown, another seven-foot giant, can help Haywood on the boards, the Wizards may be one of the top teams in the NBA's sorry Eastern Conference. But sometimes I wonder if the 22-year-old Brown, a former overall No. 1 draft pick, will ever blossom into a star. Last week, Coach Eddie Jordan suspended him because Brown complained when Jordan took him out of a game. Come on, Kwame, grow up!

Maybe I shouldn't get too excited about the Wizards. After all, they are beating up on the bad teams in the NBA. The Wizards have a record of 1 win and 7 losses against teams that currently have a winning record. The Wizards start a five-game road trip tonight against some of the toughest teams in the Western Conference. That should tell us whether they are contenders or pretenders.

I say the Wizards are going to be contenders and make the playoffs for the first time in eight years. But I don't say it too loudly. I don't want to jinx them.

Fred Bowen writes KidsPost's Friday sports column and is the author of sports novels for kids.