The Washington Wizards won’t have to worry about the Western Conference for a little while, and they celebrated with three nice wins in another plus week.

After failing to break their decade-plus-long streak of losing in San Antonio, the Wizards saved face with a road win in New Orleans to bring their road trip to a close with a 2-3 record. Nene was really good.

Then the Wizards cruised to a win over a horrid Knicks team in their return to DC. Nene was really good again.

Finally, the Wizards outclassed the Chicago Bulls on Friday night, grabbing one of their biggest wins of the season on national TV – Nene called down fire from the heavens and emerged from the battle with Joakim Noah’s soul.

DC’s best start in 36 years continues, and all of a sudden, they’re in second place in the East again. With huge road games in Atlanta and Chicago coming up, it’s time for the Wizards to show the world that they can win this thing.

Let’s grade.

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

John Wall: 16.0 PPG (46.2 FG%), 3.3 RPG, 10.0 APG, 2.5 SPG

For John Wall, getting ten assists a night is as easy as breathing.

Every game comes with the expectation that he’s going to be getting a double-double – what’s an accomplishment for most point guards is completely the norm for Wall. Wall is not like us mortal people. He is just blessed with incredible abilities that the rest of us don’t have. His court vision is basically a sixth sense. We should just revel in it while we can.

We’re watching one of the best point guards of his era enter his prime, and he’s playing for the Wizards.

Grade: A

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Bradley Beal: 12.5 PPG (41.7 FG%), 2.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.5 SPG

Bradley Beal’s inconsistency has been pretty frustrating at times this year – but every time I start to get annoyed, I just try to remember that Bradley Beal is already one of the deadliest three-point shooters in the game and he’s barely old enough to drink.

His all-around offensive game undoubtedly needs development, but he has plenty of time. Moreover, Beal has shown the ability to bounce back from rough offensive nights to come up big when the Washington Wizards need it the most.

Beal had a scoreless first half against the Knicks, but came back to hit four big threes to help the Wizards hold off a second-half charge. Against the Bulls, Beal battled through some early struggles to make a very positive impact on defense and then toss in the ultimate dagger late in the fourth. The Bulls game really highlighted one of Beal’s biggest strengths: he’s a great running mate for Wall in the fast break.

He can pull up for a deadly transition three or finish at the rim, and if he’s gonna pass, he always makes the pass at the right time and in the right spot. Oh, and RIP Kirk Hinrich.

Grade: B

Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Paul Pierce: 8.7 PPG (50.0 FG%), 2.3 RPG, 1.3 APG

A relatively quiet week for the Truth, who had a designated rest day against the Knicks on Wednesday and scored in single digits against San Antonio and Chicago. But in a slugfest defensive struggle against New Orleans, Pierce’s 14 points on 6-8 shooting were extremely valuable – when the Washington Wizards really need him, the Truth always shows up.

Pierce had been very up-and-down from beyond the arc for much of the first couple months of the season, but he’s really been on fire lately, bringing his three-point percentage up to a very respectable 38.4%… which, I might add, is a solid 6% ahead of our old friend Trevor Ariza.

And I know it’s January and everything, but am I the only one who still kinda can’t believe that Paul Pierce is actually on the Wizards? I have lived in mortal terror of this man for most of my life, but now he’s doing Paul Pierce things for the Wizards! The Truth is Truthing in our name!

This is so weird and cool.

Grade: B-

Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Nene: 13.3 PPG (60.5 FG%), 6.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.3 SPG

How many non-All-Star players are as valuable to their teams as Nene?

It was crystal-clear this week just how fantastic a healthy, engaged Nene is – he’s a combination of tremendous brute strength, exceptional skill for a man his size, and phenomenal basketball IQ. He’s the centerpiece of one of the best defenses in the NBA, and he really showed his excellence on that end of the court this week.

On Monday, he turned Anthony Davis into a jumpshooter, and on Friday he and Gortat made the vaunted frontcourt of Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah into non-factors. Nene was born to destroy and embarrass Joakim Noah, and he lives to drink the Bulls center’s sweet, salty man-tears.

To this day, I am still in disbelief that the Wizards got a player like this for a knucklehead like JaVale McGee. All hail Lord Grunfeld.

Grade: A+

Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Marcin Gortat: 13.8 PPG (54.3 FG%), 8.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.3 BPG

After a really ragged offensive stretch from the Polish Hammer, Marcin Gortat showed some signs of life this week before breaking out for good against Chicago, scoring 21 points on 10-16 shooting and grabbing 13 rebounds.

In true Gortat style, he could have had more – he blew a wide-open dunk and missed four free throws – but this is what we needed to see from Gortat. Fewer stand-still jumpers, fewer post-ups, more sweet rolling action.

Gortat now has double-doubles in back-to-back games, after he notched 12 points and 11 rebounds against the Knicks in perhaps the easiest double-double he’ll ever get in his life. Cole Aldrich + Jason Smith = fuel for the Polish Machine.

Grade: B+