Washington Wizards: Why Beating The Bucks Was More Important Than Beating The Cavaliers by Greg Gottfried

The Washington Wizards are 9-3–their best start in four decades.

With Bradley Beal back in the lineup, the Wizards appear to be at full-strength and will likely remain a top team in the lowly Eastern Conference. The Cleveland Cavaliers (5-7) have struggled to integrate their news pieces, with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love all adjusting to new roles. The Chicago Bulls have been hit with injuries and haven’t been able to play well consistently yet this season.

Needless to say, the Eastern Conference is wide open.

Although the Wizards are a top team in the East, they could use some back court depth. Glen Rice Jr. hasn’t been able to take advantage of his opportunity behind Beal, and has been sent down to the NBA D-League once again. Garrett Temple has regressed mightily since playing the best basketball of his career in the first few games of the season. Rasual Butler, who’s looking to earn a guaranteed deal, has played well off the bench, but how much does the 35-year old really have left in the tank before regressing himself?

The team was reportedly interested in acquiring Ray Allen from the free agent market, and according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard, the Washington Wizards remain one of the many teams still chasing the greatest three point shooter ever:

Cavs, Bulls, Wizards, Spurs among the 7 teams interested in Ray Allen. Allen's in Miami, keeping himself in shape — Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) November 24, 2014

The 39-year old Ray Allen will not be expected to play a major role for Washington, if he does decide to continue his playing career in the nation’s capital.

Washington convinced Paul Pierce to join the team after pushing the Indiana Pacers to six games in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, so nothing would surprise me at this point. Among the teams interested, the San Antonio Spurs seem to be the best fit for Ray Allen, especially since the Cleveland Cavaliers are struggling and need major help at the shooting guard position.

Ray Allen is a future Hall-of-Famer and it would certainly be great to see him reunite with former teammate Pierce, but more importantly, Beal would have a legitimate mentor to learn from. Given Washington’s success of getting the most out of their three point shooters, Ray Allen would fit perfectly in a Washington Wizards uniform.