NBA Playoffs 2015: How Far Can The Washington Wizards Go?

NBA Playoffs 2015: How Far Can The Washington Wizards Go? by Ben Mehic

The life of a Washington Wizards fan is often one of Sisyphean torment.

It’s being certain that a late lead will be blown. It’s being simultaneously stupidly optimistic and hopelessly pessimistic. It’s cringing at nonsensical lineups and bizarre play. It’s recoiling in terror at #WittmanFaces.

But it’s often more than just watching bad play on the court – it’s the idea that the team that we love has no respectability. For so long, the Washington Wizards have been a rinky-dink laughingstock.

Being a Wizards fan is really tough a lot of the time. But this is not one of those times.

We live in a world where the Wizards are one game away from their first postseason sweep since 1978 – which is, by the way, the last time this franchise won a title. This team most likely is not a contender to repeat that feat, but you know what? Who cares. It’s time to just enjoy the ride.

The Wizards are still the Wizards, and their history is a grim one. But this is the NBA Playoffs, and history doesn’t count. Hell, the regular season doesn’t count – the Wizards failed to beat Toronto a single time in the regular season before reeling off three straight wins to start this series.

We’ve seen this Wizards team play 85 times now this season, and we know they’re far from perfect.

But when the team is playing like this, why worry about “the offense can still be pretty terrible” or “having a generally reviled coach” or “this team still having enormous, gaping flaws?”

How can you worry when John Wall is turning men into dust, Angry Panda Bradley Beal is putting up big performances, Marcin Gortat is beasting on the inside and Otto Porter is disappearing DeMar DeRozan into the Phantom Zone?

The offense is turning out more threes, the rotation is shorter. This is more like the team we’ve wanted to see all year long.

More and more, we’re coming to realize that this team has an actual playoff gear. The Washington Wizards jumped up to play some of their best basketball of the year in the 2014 postseason, and we’re seeing it again this year. And today, on the cusp of a first-round sweep, the Wizards actually might have a conceivable path to the NBA Finals.

No, really, hear me out.

The Raptors series should just about be in hand, and next up is most likely the Hawks. Yes, the Wizards failed to beat them in the regular season, but this Raptors series should show you how much that’s worth.

The Hawks haven’t played their best basketball since the All-Star break. They’re vulnerable. And then, what if the Bulls can jump up and knock out the Cavs? I guarantee that they don’t want to see the Wizards again.

All this sounds a little dumb and very presumptive.

They’re the Washington Wizards, after all – we’re all going to naturally live in constant fear that they’ll drop off again. But other teams’ fans get to be happy, and we deserve this.

We lived through Blatche, Young and McGee. We lived through Gungate. We lived through Ruffin’s toss. We lived through #MaynorTime. We lived through Jahidi White.

Wizards fans deserve to be happy. And now we have an excuse to be happy, so let’s take full advantage of it. The Wizards haven’t been relevant like this in a long time. Enjoy the ride.

Also, fun fact: that ’78 Bullets team that won the title? Only won 44 games in the regular season. This year’s Wizards won 46. Not that history matters or anything, just food for thought.