Paul Brandley talks about the realistic expectations for the Wizards entering the 2014-2015 season. He talks about the acquisition of Paul Pierce as well as the development of John Wall and Bradley Beal. With the bruising bigs of Nene and Gortat, the Wizards have a true shot at being the 3 seed in the East - except their coach doesn't help their cause much.

1. Wizards Expectations for 2014-
2015 Season

2. The Washington Wizards finished
with 44 wins last year - their highest
total in nearly 10 years.

3. Due to high draft picks for the last
four seasons, Washington has put
together a young core that has lots
of potential.

4. Guys such as John Wall have turned
out to be All-Star caliber players that
are not only very skilled but also
entertaining to watch.

5. Washington has also brought in
some great veterans such as Marcin
Gortat and Nene.

6. Now, the Wizards bring in the most
seasoned veteran of them all - Paul
Pierce.

7. While Pierce is certainly over the
hump, he has lots of playoff
experience (and an NBA
Championship ring) which will prove
to be invaluable as the season goes
along.

8. While things are looking up for the
Wizards, I want to make sure that I
provide you with realistic
expectations for next season.

9. Here's a breakdown of the
Washington Wizards.

10. John Wall is entering his fifth season
in the league and is emerging as a
superstar.

11. Wall was selected for the USA Team
tryouts, getting cut in the last round
of players.

12. Wall was electric last year by
averaging nearly 20 points and nine
assists while also recording 1.8
steals per game.

13. His improvements on offense also
opened the floor for Bradley Beal
due to penetrate-and-kick scenarios.

14. Beal, who is entering his third
season, had a breakout year during
his sophomore campaign.

15. Averaging 17 points a game while
also shooting over 40% from three
means that Beal and Wall are one of
the best guard combos in the
league.

16. And Beal continued to perform in
the playoffs - showing that he has
matured into a clutch player while
still very young.

17. This kid's confidence is through
the roof.

18. Down low, Washington has two
bruisers in Gortat and Nene.

19. Gortat is an old-school center, living
in the lane, while Nene has some of
the quickest feet for a guy his size.

20. The Wizards have brought in Dajuan
Blair and Kris Humphries to prove
the Wizards with some depth in the
frontcourt.

21. Both players should be able to
contribute about 15 minutes a
game.

22. Add in Paul Pierce and you have a
very respectable team that could
make a playoff run.

23. One major problem, however, is
having Randy Wittman running the
show.

24. Wittman has been criticized for his
in-game adjustments as well as the
way he runs his offense.

25. One stat that many point to: the
Wizards lost 12 games last year
in which they had a double-digit
lead.

26. That's not good - and a lot of the
blame can be placed on
Wittman's shoulders.

27. Also, Wittman has forced some
of the ballhandling duties onto
Beal instead of letting Wall
initiate the offensive sets.

28. This has proved to be ineffective
due to Beal's value as a shooter.

29. The other issue with the Wizards
is injuries.

30. Paul Pierce is breaking down - he
needs a rest every three or four
games.

31. And Nene is notorious for getting
injured, missing 20+ games in
each of his last three seasons.

32. Regardless, the Wizards have put
together a very nice team - one
that should finish anywhere from
third to fifth in the conference.

33. Who knows what the playoffs
will hold?