NBA Team Profiles: Washington Wizards

Even if you don’t follow the NBA religiously, you’re probably aware that the league hosts some of the most intense and exciting sporting events around.

There are currently 30 teams competing in the NBA, divided into the Western and Eastern Conferences, all of which have their own talented roster. 

Yet there’s something special about the Washington Wizards that make them truly stand out. Whether you’re just interested in their Odds To Win NBA Finals or the team’s history, we’ve got you covered.

Who Are the Washington Wizards?

Established in 1961, the Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington D.C. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference.

All home games are played in downtown Chinatown (Washington, D.C.) in the Capital One Arena.

A Quick Team History

Establishing an Identity

The team started playing as the Chicago Packers in 1961 as the first expansion team in the NBA. However, due to name similarities with the Green Bay Packers, the team quickly became known as the Chicago Zephyrs.

In 1963 the franchise moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and became the Baltimore Bullets. They reached the playoffs for the first time in the 1964-65 season as the Baltimore Bullets.

But, after a move to Washington, this later changed to the Capital Bullets (1973) and the Washington Bullets (1974-1995), respectively. 

The 1970s

After a tumultuous start to the 1977–78 season, this basketball team managed to end a playoff run that led them directly to the NBA Finals. Here, they defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in just seven games to bring a professional sports title for the first time in almost four decades! 

As of 2022, this is the only NBA title that the team has obtained.

A notable achievement during the 1970s meant that the Bullets were the only team to play in the NBA Finals four times. This decade also saw the introduction of some future Hall of Fame players like Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes, Gus Johnson, and Earl Monroe – who made the Bullets annual contenders for the NBA championship.

The 1980s – Late 1990s

Age and injuries finally began to catch up with the Bullets and, in the 1979–80 season, they barely made the playoffs. This stretch of inconsistent performance and general bad luck with injuries lasted throughout the 1980s and even into the 1990s. 

From the 1988–89 season to the 2003–04 season, Washington only qualified once for the postseason.

From 1997 – Early 2000s

Rebranding

In 1997, they rebranded as the Washington Wizards – the name that they’re currently known by. Their first season saw a triumphant return to the league with Chris Webber single-handedly leading the team regarding scoring.

Michael Jordan returned as a minority owner and vice president of operations in January 2000 and later came out of retirement to play for the team in 2001 and 2002. He retired for the (third) last time after the 2002-2003 season concluded.

Return to the Playoffs

The 2004–05 season saw the team post its best regular-season record in 26 years (45–37) and marked the first time the franchise had ever made the playoffs as the Wizards.

Their 94-91 win in Game 6 of this season saw the team clinch their first playoff title since 1986, and ended their record for the second-longest streak without a postseason series win!

Antawn Jamison, Larry Hughes, and Gilbert Arenas were the clear standout scoring trio of the time.

From 2013 – Present Day

Randy Wittman

Head coach Randy Wittman truly shook things up for the Wizards.

After several mediocre playing years, and under the guidance of Wittman, the Wizards once again returned to the playoffs during the 2013-2014 season and repeated a successful run during the following season, too. 

This saw the Wizards play the Raptors in the first round of the NBA Playoffs and win a total of four games, their first sweep in franchise history!

Wittman was fired during the 2015-2016 season and replaced with Scott Brooks, former Oklahoma City Thunder head coach.

Scott Brooks

 During his five-year tenure, Brooks led the Wizards to relative success. And by the 2016–2017 season, the Wizards were back on top form. 

This particular season would prove to be the most successful in recent Wizards history, following an impressive 49–33 record and the first win in the Southeast Division since 1979.

The following years entailed a pretty underwhelming performance from the Wizards despite having talents such as Thomas Bryant and Bradley Beal leading the way. There were plenty of injuries, too, ranging from back problems to left Achilles injuries and wrist injuries.

The trade deadline in the 2021-22 season saw a huge change to the roster, with the Wizards acquiring top-tier player Kristaps Porzingis. 

Rivalries

Unlike many other NBA teams, the Washington Wizards don’t have multiple long-standing rivalries. Although there’s an unspoken one between the Wizards and the Toronto Raptors due to both teams being solid contenders in the Eastern Conference.

We also can’t forget about the Cleveland Cavaliers rivalry from the early 2000s either, which has since died down. With both the Wizards and Cavaliers in serious rebuilding mode, it’s relatively unclear if and when this sort of rivalry might have the potential to be rekindled.

Achievements

In total, the Wizards have appeared in four separate NBA Finals, winning in 1978. They’ve also appeared 28 times in the playoffs, won 4 conference titles throughout the 1970s, and also hold seven division titles — 6 achieved in the 1970s and one in 2017. 

Their best season occurred in 1975 when they achieved a 60-22 record. Franchise legend Wes Unseld is the only Wizards player to have become MVP (1969) and clinched the Finals MVP award (1978). 

Summary

The NBA’s Washington Wizards have a pretty up-and-down playing history but an even greater ability to make a grand comeback after a disappointing performance. They’re currently among the top 5 teams playing in the Eastern Conference and, with a pretty full roster on their hands, there’s plenty of room for another great NBA season!