Wizards' woes

The last and only time that Washington was the NBA champion, the late Pope John Paul II was beginning his papacy and Billy Joel was releasing chart-topping hits.

The Washington Wizards – or, back then, the Bullets – have come a long way since 1978, but they now lack a few of the things they had back then: team chemistry and participation. Sure, we no longer have NBA Hall-of-Famers Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld (who, believe it or not, was in the bottom half of the Bullets roster in terms of scoring back then), but we do have equally good players.

So what went wrong? Well, for starters, everything. The Wizards have become too reliant on Gilbert Arenas, counting on him to make the shots, handle the ball and lead the team. This strategy works out every once in a while, but has one fatal flaw: if Arenas is having an "off" day, then the team is doomed. Even when Arenas is having a good day, the rest of the team is too laid-back and inattentive to perform. Take, for example, the Dec. 30 game against the Miami Heat. Arenas posted a career-high 47 points, yet the Wizards still suffered their fourteenth consecutive loss to the Heat. Surprisingly, Arenas wasn't scoring better than in any other game; he made 15 of 29 shots from the field and nearly all of his free throws. He was simply served the ball more than the others, who lazed around and showed the defensive capability of amateurs, not professionals.

The Wizards' losses have accumulated and left a stain on the team's record, which currently stands at 17-19.

"What does it take to be number one?"

At present, with 30 wins and 5 losses, the Detroit Pistons hold the best record in the NBA. Now get this: of the four teams that have beat the Pistons this season, one of them was the Wizards. What this one game revealed was that the Wizards definitely have the capability to beat whomever they want, if they try.

It's not easy to equate the Wizards and the Pistons. Though both teams may have equally talented players, the Pistons have a few key qualities that make them greater than the Wizards. Mainly, they use their players in the best way possible to create team chemistry. Each player does his job, with every team member contributing to the game. The Pistons don't rely solely on Rasheed Wallace or Chauncey Billups to score all the points. Instead, they have a team where every player gets an opportunity to put their skills and specialty to use. While center Ben Wallace does what he's best at, grabbing rebounds, guard Carlos Arroyo dishes out assists to his teammates. The result is a balance in the playing time for each player, since that everyone is making a contribution.

Perhaps the best way to show what the Pistons have that the Wizards don't is to look at the statistics. The Pistons are churning out an average of 23.9 assists per game (apg), while their opponents are only making 18.8 apg. For the Wizards, these statistics are practically the opposite, with team and opponent apgs of 18.8 and 22.7, respectively. The Wizards are, too often, shooting at inopportune times instead of passing the ball. As the statistic and its name suggest, the Wizards may need to assist each other more often.

Rebuilding and adjusting

Wizards coach Eddie Jordan has been shuffling around the starting lineup, helping each player find his niche and providing helpful advice on team fundamentals. For a team with quite a few new members, the players have used as much time as they possibly can to adjust to their roles and become acclimated to Jordan's Princeton offense. Some of it has paid off. The Wizards have recently recovered from another losing streak and have won five of their last six games. In these games, last-minute defensive contributions from Caron Butler, Jared Jeffries and others have saved the Wizards from any more losses. Ultimately, a win or loss boils down to the team's ability to make effective defensive plays which involve more than just one player.

Rotating the lineup can be very useful. Earlier this season, when guard Jarvis Hayes fractured his right patella, Jordan inserted Butler – who averages a solid 16.6 points per game – into the starting lineup. Butler was able to give quick points when needed and set up some crucial plays. Moreover, with Butler starting at forward, Jeffries was able to play shooting guard to create mismatches and exercise his rebounding skills. The Wizards' rebounding improved significantly and helped the team win at least seven games. Even rookies contributed during this win streak. In the Jan. 11 home game against the Atlanta Hawks, rookie Donell Taylor scored a career- and game-high 15 points in just 18 minutes. If the Wizards can keep up the teamwork and cooperation they have exhibited in the past few games, it may well be on its way to clinching a playoff spot.

All things considered, the Wizards definitely have the potential to be a great team. Unfortunately, they are plagued with inconsistency, going on losing streaks every four or five games. The Wizards haven't had a record above .500 since the start of the season. Their patchy efforts are, hopefully, just additional adjustments to their offensive and defensive strategies.

Last year's Wizards roster was nothing short of amazing. Before Hughes was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was part of the highest scoring backcourt trio in the NBA along with All-Stars Arenas and Antawn Jamison. The three players guided the team to the playoffs for the first time in eight years and revived a long-stagnant team. Now, the Wizards may not need anyone to step up to take Hughes' place, but instead a whole team to take defensive initiative, as well as lift some burden off of Arenas' shoulders.

The Wizards are currently eighth in the Eastern Conference. Playoffs, anyone?