Latest Washington Wizards News

    Washington Wizards Franchise Information

    Have a read on below at some quick stats and facts on the Washington Wizards to get you started: 

    Established:1961 
    Stadium:Capital One Arena 
    Colours:Navy blue, red, silver & white 
    Hall of Famers:Wes Unseld, Earl Monroe, Elvin Hayes, Dave Bing, Walt Bellamy, Bailey Howell, Moses Malone, Micheal Jordan, Gus Johnson, Ralph Sampson, Bernard King, Mitch Richmond & Spencer Haywood 
    Hall of Fame Coaches:Bobby Leonard 
    Rivals:Cleveland Cavaliers 
    Legends:John Wall, Elvin Hayes, Bradley Beal, Wes Unseld, Gilbert Arenas, Earl Monroe, Gus Johnson, Chris Webber, Bernard King & Antwan Jamieson 
    Retired Numbers:10, 11, 25, 41 & 45 
    Conference: Eastern Conference
    Division:Southeast Division
    NBA Championships1: 1978 

    Washington Wizards History

    The Washington Wizards became the first expansion team to join the NBA in 1961, but it took 13 years before they settled in the nation’s capital city. The Wizards were formally entered into the NBA as the Chicago Packers (then became the Chicago Zephyrs in 1962-63). 

    In fact, they spent their first two years in Chicago, before being relocated to Baltimore where they stayed for a decade between 1963-1973 before the franchise finally called Washington home from 1973. 

    When the Packers moved to Baltimore another name change was on the cards as they became known as the Baltimore Bullets from 1963-73, and when they relocated to Washington they became the Capital Bullets from 1973-1974, Washington Bullets from 1974-1994 and from 1994 they rebranded themselves to become the Washington Wizards. 

    The Bullets drafted reasonably well in their foundation years in Baltimore as they drafted future Hall of Famers Earl Monroe in the 1967 draft with pick #2 and Wes Unseld who they also selected with pick #2 in the 1968 draft and the duo would have a key part in the Bullets history as well as having stellar NBA careers. 

    A few years later after acquiring the services of Monroe and Unseld, the duo would lead the Bullets to their first-ever NBA finals series in 1971, however, they couldn’t make much of it as they were swept by Milwaukee Bucks 4-0 in the series. 

    Midway through the 1971-72 season, the Bullets entered in a trade with the New York Knicks which saw Monroe go to the Knicks, while the Bullets would get Mike Riordan and Dave Stallworth in return. The Bullets made the playoffs during that season but fell to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    From there the Bullets became a postseason regulars, as they made the 1972-73 playoffs (which would be their last in Baltimore) but once again fell in the early stages. By the time the 1973-74 season rolled around, the Bullets left Baltimore for Washington and became known as the Capital Bullets, but once again they crashed out of the Eastern Conference semifinals after finishing the regular season in first place in the Central standings with a 47-35 record.

    The 1976-77 NBA season saw the Capital Bullets change its name to the Washington Bullets and after a few years without playing in the playoffs, the Bullets finally broke their three-year drought when they made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals, but like the previous few years, they couldn’t quite break that curse and fell to the Houston Rockets. 

    But the Bullets were just gearing up as the glory days were only around the corner for the Washington team. The 1977-78 season would be the biggest one they would have. The Bullets finished the regular season in second place of the Central standings with a 44-38 win-loss record, but despite the finish, it didn’t seem to bother them. 

    The Bullets made light work of their playoff opponents in the first round defeating the Atlanta Hawks in two games as they advanced to the conference semifinals where they have been undone since the 1972-73 season. 

    However, it turns out that this new breed of the Bullets was different from previous years as there was no sign of the conference semifinal curse that had eluded them in the past as they finally progressed defeating the San Antonio Spurs in four games. 

    They knocked off Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals in four games, as they managed to make it to their first NBA Finals series since 1971 where they would meet the Seattle Supersonics. 

    From start to finish the whole series was a see-sawing affair as both sides never really dominated as by the time both teams went into game six the Supersonics were leading 3-2. It was make or break time for the Bullets, but there was no need to to worry as Greg Ballard and Bob Dandridge played an important part as the side came out comfortable winners to tie the series to 3 all defeating the Supersonics 117-82. 

    From there, the Bullets didn’t want to slip off the radar as Dandridge and Charles Johnson both played their hearts out as the duo hit 19 points to hand the Bullets their first NBA championship as they defeated the Supersonics 105-99 as well as winning the series 4-3. Unseld would become the Bullets hero as he was crowned the MVP throughout the finals series. 

    There was no sign of a “championship hangover” in the regular season as the Bullets ended the 1978-79 season on top of the Atlantic Division with 54 wins. In their first playoff series, they faced a bit of scare when they played the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals when they defeated the Hawks in four games. 

    They faced another scare in the East conference finals defeating the San Antonio Spurs in four games. They made back-to-back NBA finals appearances and this time they faced the Supersonics again, but unlike the previous year, the Supersonics got revenge and won the series 4-1. 

    After the 1980-81 season, Unseld announced his retirement as he became the Bullets number one ranked player for games played as he made 984 appearances, played 35, 832 minutes and scored 10,624 points since making his debut in 1968. 

    That same year the Bullets traded out Elvin Hayes who was also a much-loved son at the Bullets to Houston. The Bullets would remain competitive throughout the rest of the 80s but would never repeat their NBA Finals triumph or even head to another NBA Finals as they often made the East first round, and only missed the playoffs altogether three times. 

    The new decade was turned to their attention of rebuilding and even though they signed Bernard King who fully recovered from a devastating knee injury to become an All-Star player in the 1990-91 season, it still wasn’t enough as they finished fourth in the Atlantic division with 30 wins. 

    Now in the 1994-95 season, the Bullets still hadn’t managed to find the same rhythm they had in the 80s as they hadn’t seen the playoffs since the 1987-88 season, but they were in high spirits when they traded out Tom Gugliotta for Golden State’s Chris Webber, but that was as high as the Bullets hopes went as they finished last in their division with 21 wins. 

    After being in the postseason wilderness for so long, they finally broke a big hoodoo in the 1996-97 season when they managed to make a playoff appearance with 44 wins in the regular season. Ultimately though the nerves got the better of them and they crashed out of the East First Round. They didn’t make the playoffs for the rest of the 90s. 

    By 2002 the Wizards (they changed from the Washington Bullets to the Wizards in 1997), shocked the basketball world when they convinced six-time NBA champion player and six-time NBA Finals MVP player Micheal Jordan to come out of retirement and play for them, but that wasn’t enough as they finished with 37 wins. 

    The 2002-03 season would be the last for Jordan in Wizards colours, but again he couldn’t help the Wizards to a playoff spot as they once again finished with 37 wins. The Wizards had some sort of mini success during the mid-2000s as they became a competitive team to play against from 2005-2008 where they finally saw the playoffs once again and were consecutive mainstays. 

    The 2005 season was their best throughout that time as they signed Antwan Jamieson from the Dallas Mavericks. The Wizards finished the regular season with 45 wins. It meant they had to play in the East First Round playoffs where they defeated the Chicago Bulls in five games. They met the Miami Heat in the Eastern Semifinals but fell to Miami losing the series 4-0. 

    A four year span from 2014- 2018 saw the Wizards back to their best as they became postseason regulars, only missing the playoffs once in 2016. In particular, 2013-2014, 2014- 2015 and 2016-2017 seasons were the best as they managed to get to the Eastern Conference semifinals, but fell to Indiana Pacers (2014), Atlanta Hawks (2015) and Boston Celtics (2017). 

    Since then the Wizards have missed out on a playoff berth from 2018-2020 which included the Wizards finishing in tenth spot with 25 wins in the 2019-2020 season. 

    The franchise finally decided to shake things up, trading long-time star, John Wall, to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Russell Westbrook. The thought was that Westbrook’s playmaking and physical style of play would compliment Beal and help the Wizards rise up the standings.

    They eventually made the postseason, losing to the Celtics in the first Play-In Game but then beating the Pacers in the eighth-seed Play-In game to qualify for the playoffs. Unfortunately, they were no match for the Sixers, losing in five games in the opening round and leaving plenty of questions about the future of Beal, Westbrook and the franchise.

    The Washington Wizards had a rough season during the 2021-22 campaign as they finished the year with a record of 35-47 and in 12th place in the Eastern Conference.

    Expert 2022-23 Picks & Preview on Washington Wizards

    If you are a fan of the Washington Wizards, then you know that the only thing that matters right now is how they are expected to perform in the 2022-23 season. Do the Washington Wizards have the star power to make it all the way to the playoffs and win The Finals in 2023?

    Have a read on below at SportsTips expert picks & preview on the Washington Wizards:

    Front Office

    Wes Unseld Jr. is the head coach of the Washington Wizards, and this upcoming 2022-23 National Basketball Association season will be his second season in charge of the franchise. He has been coaching in the league for one year overall and over the course of his coaching career he has never made the playoffs. His overall record in the regular season currently sits at 35-47. He is a former longtime assistant coach in the NBA.

    Tommy Sheppard is the general manager of the Washington Wizards and he has held that position within the franchise since 2019. This upcoming 2022-23 National Basketball Association season will be his fourth season as the decision maker for the franchise. 

    Key Players

    Bradley Beal is the best player on this team’s roster and he is sure to make a huge impact during the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. This upcoming season will be his 11th season in the National Basketball Association. Last season he put up some impressive numbers as he averaged around 23 points per game. He set up his teammates as well as he averaged around seven assists per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around five rebounds per game. 

    The second key player on this roster is Kyle Kuzma and this upcoming season will be his sixth season in the National Basketball Association. This will be his second season with the Wizards. Last season he put up some impressive numbers as he averaged around 17 points per game. He set up his teammates as well as he averaged around four assists per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around nine rebounds per game.

    Breakout Player

    Johnny Davis will be the breakout player on this team’s roster and he is sure to make a huge impact during the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. He is a former 10th overall pick in the 2022 National Basketball Association Draft. This upcoming season will be his first season in the National Basketball Association after attending Wisconsin. Last season he put up some impressive numbers as he averaged around 20 points per game. 

    He set up his teammates as well as he averaged around two assists per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around eight rebounds per game. He put in some work on the defensive end of the court as well, averaging around one steal per game and one block per game. His list of accolades is impressive as he is a former all-American and first team all Big Ten selection.

    Washington Wizards Betting & Odds Preview 2022-23

    The Washington Wizards campaign during the 2021-22 National Basketball Association season went about as you would’ve expected. They finished the year with a record of 35-47 and in fourth place of the Southeast Division. The Wizards are a much better team on paper and they should be much better this upcoming year. 

    There is a lot of optimism surrounding the franchise heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. If they want to improve or keep up their current level of play they will certainly need a ton of production from their stars over the course of the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. The most important thing in any season is how a team starts out of the gate, and then how they look when the all-star break approaches. 

    In the National Basketball Association, a lot can change over a single off-season. It will be interesting to see how their offseason moves translate onto the basketball court over the course of the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. Based on their odds to win some hardware headed into the season it is clear how the oddsmakers in Las Vegas feel about them heading into the year. 

    Their odds to bring home the Southeast Division championship this season currently sit at +3300 heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season, which puts them fourth in the Southeast Division out of five teams. 

    While their odds to win the Eastern Conference currently sit at +12500 heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season, which puts them 12th in the Eastern Conference out of 15 teams. Their overall odds to bring home the championship are currently sitting at +25000 heading into the 2022-23 season, as they rank 22nd out of all 30 teams in the National Basketball Association.

    Washington Wizards FAQs

    Still, got some burning questions about the Washington Wizards? Well, we have answered some of the most common questions people have, hopefully, you will find the answer you are looking for below! 

    Where do the Washington Wizards play?

    The Washington Wizards play their home games at the Capital One Arena. 

    Who owns the Washington Wizards?

    Ted Leonsis is the owner of the Washington Wizards. 

    Have the Washington Wizards won an NBA Championship?

    The Washington Wizards have won one NBA Championship, in 1978. 

    Who is the Washington Wizards coach?

    Wes Unseld Jr. is the head coach of the Washington Wizards. Unseld Jr. was hired in the 2021 offseason after being an assistant in Denver for the last six seasons. 

    Do the Washington Wizards play tonight?

    Are you wondering if the Washington Wizards are playing tonight? Well, SportsTips has all the details you need about upcoming Washington Wizards games! Make sure you check this page at the top for all the details you are looking for.

    What is the Washington Wizards record?

    The Washington Wizards had a 35-47 win-loss record for the 2021-22 NBA season. 

    Did the Washington Wizards win last night?

    Fans of the Washington Wizards are all wanting to know if they won the game last night. You can find more information in relation to the team’s recent form in games on the page at the top.

    How much are the Washington Wizards worth?

    According to Forbes Magazine, the Washington Wizards are worth $1.925 billion. 

    Who do the Washington Wizards play tonight?

    Like a lot of things in the NBA, things change pretty quickly. So, if you are looking for more information about who the Washington Wizards play tonight, you have come to the right place. We have all this information for you in detail, you can find these details for upcoming games at the top of the page.

    How to watch the Washington Wizards?

    You can watch the Washington Wizards on TV channels like ESPN, ABC, TNT, NBA TV or NBC Sports Washington or subscribe to NBA League Pass. 

    Will the Washington Wizards make the playoffs this year?

    The Washington Wizards did not the playoffs in the 2021-22 season.

    Will the Washington Wizards get the 1st pick in the NBA Draft?

    The Washington Wizards did not receive the 1st pick in the 2022 NBA draft. 

    When do the Washington Wizards play?

    Washington Wizards fans are always looking for more information about when their team plays the next game. For all the information you have been craving and more, be sure to check the top of this page. Here at SportsTips, we list all the information you need like the tip off time, location of the game and the all-important NBA odds.

    Where did the Washington Wizards finish the season?

    The Washington Wizards finished the 2021-22 NBA season in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. 

    How many games did the Washington Wizards win?

    The Washington Wizards won 35 games during the 2021-22 NBA season.