Photo by lifeinthedistrict

By DCist Contributor Jamel Johnson

With two weeks left in the NBA’s regular season, the Washington Wizards have clinched their first playoff berth in five years. To put it into perspective, no one had heard of Bruno Mars the last time the Wizards made the playoffs. Now what? Let’s take a look at the season and talk about what the team needs to do to succeed.

This season started out as abysmally as you expected: the team didn’t reach a .500 record until December 2. That said, being in the Eastern Conference means the Wiz had an easier path to the playoffs. For those unfamiliar with the difference between the quality of play in the Eastern and Western Conferences, let me put it this way: the West is in AP Calculus while the East is retaking Algebra II in the summer.

Coming into the All-Star break, the team heated up and started to string together wins, moving them up in the standings. They’ve been in cruise control ever since, quietly gliding into the playoffs.

Here’s what needs to happen for the team to succeed in the playoffs:

Staying healthy: Just as the Wizards began to rise to the top half of the East, starting center Nenê was sidelined for six weeks with a sprained MCL. It was a major blow, but the team has hung tough in his absence, going 10-8 since the injury. The team will need him to return to form in the playoffs. Forward-center Marcin Gortat has been vital in Nenê’s absence, averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds since the All-Star Break. However, Gortat (who amusingly joined the other team’s huddle on Wednesday) is coming off a back strain that sidelined him for a week.

The return of forward Al Harrington from a knee injury came right around the loss of Gortat as well, which was perfect timing. Harrington had been out for four months and is averaging 6.3 points per game since his return. His impact can also be seen off the floor as he has become a vocal leader.

The Veterans: Right at the deadline this season, the Wizards traded young forward Jan Vesely to Denver in exchange for veteran point guard Andre Miller. The 38-year-old Miller was brought in to backup All-Star Point Guard John Wall. It’s a drastic change of pace: John Wall is one of the fastest players in the league while Andre Miller may be the slowest person in Chinatown. However, Miller adds playoff experience that the team didn’t have before. The team has to hope that pays off in the clutch.

With injuries looming all around the front court, another veteran, 32-year-old forward Drew Gooden was brought on for a 10-day contract. He played so well—averaging 10 points and 6 rebounds—that his contract was extended for the rest of the season. Gooden also has playoff experience, appearing three times in the past.

The Shooters: The Wizards’ success will depend mostly upon their ability to score, particularly from behind the three-point line. The team is second in the league in three-point percentage this season with seven players shooting over 30 percent from deep, including shooting guards Bradley Beal, Trevor Ariza, Martell Webster, and most notably, John Wall, who has vastly improved his shooting from the trey since last year. That’s the most glaring difference in the Wizards from last season to this one.

Final Position: The Wizards need to finish the season strong to stay in the coveted sixth playoff spot in the East. This spot is good because it moves the team away from a first round matchup with Eastern Conference title contenders the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers. As it stands now, the team will be facing the most improved team of the year, the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors won the regular season series 3-1 but the Wizards took the last meeting without Nenê. It will be interesting to see how Beal and Wall matchup against Toronto’s star duo of shooting guard DeMar DeRozan and All-Star snub point guard Kyle Lowry.

The Wizards should be applauded for making major strides this season, but we really don’t see them making a major run in the playoffs. Best case scenario, they beat the Raptors in the first round then push a reeling Pacers team to the brink of elimination. Worst case, they finish with the eighth seed, get swept by the Heat, Michael Jordan returns, krumps on top of the Jumbotron, brings in Kwame Brown, and makes a commemorative sneaker about it. That might not happen, but at least for the first time in half a decade, playoff basketball comes to Washington. Things are looking up.