When are D.C.'s winning woes going to end?
In the fall, the Nationals finished in last place in Major League Baseball with a record of 59-102. Even with a new, state-of-the-art stadium, the Nationals could not muster enough fan support or talent to put up a fight against the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves of the NL East.
Now it's the Wizards. Two weeks away from the mid-point of the NBA season and the Wizards are scrounging around the bottom of the NBA fish tank. They are 9-37 overall, 0-10 in the Southeast Division, and their best player, Antawn Jamison was snubbed from the All-Star game despite averaging 21.1 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game.
Like Sisyphus rolling a boulder up a hill for eternity, Caron Butler (who is averaging 20 ppg and 6 rpg) and Jamison are carrying the hefty aspirations of a 2007-2008 team that saw themselves make the playoffs for the fourth time in as many seasons.
Last year's success prevailed without the sharp-shooting, All-Star Gilbert Arenas, and despite losing in the first round to the Cleveland Cavaliers, many thought the 2008-2009 season looked just as promising. That is, until the injuries began to amass.
First there was Arenas, then all three centers, Andray Blatche, Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood, and most recently, guard DeShawn Stevenson. With all the injuries, the Wizards' rookie coach, Ed Tapscott, has been forced to play Butler, Jamison and a hodgepodge of rookies, sophomores and NBA wanderers in order to have five players on the court at all times.
At the week's end, the Wizards had lost five straight games and were festering near the bottom of many of the NBA's statistics categories, including total points per game, field goal percentage and points allowed. With an overpaid star like Arenas nursing an injury on the bench, and an upcoming NBA draft class that is rumored to have little to offer in the form of star potential, the Wizards' near future looks bleak.
Even if there is some magic left in the Wizards, this season is lost. If the Wizards win 20 of their last 36 games, the Milwaukee Bucks, the current eighth spot in the Eastern conference playoff picture, would have to lose 27 of their final 32 games in order for the Wizards to take that eighth position. And, this is only possible if the six other teams between the Wizards and Bucks maintain their current winning percentages for the remainder of the season.
In other words, all the Wizards can do now is wait. If Butler and Jamison stay healthy, and if the health of Arenas and the three big-men improves, the Wizards could be back in the Eastern Conference playoff picture next year.
For now, at least, D.C. sports fans still have Alex Ovechkin and the Caps.
You can reach this staff writer at sflynn@theeagleonline.com.
