Washington Wizards rookie guard Tre Johnson Patrick McDermott/GettyImages

Way-too-Early Predictions for Wizards' Conference Finish

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Lane Mills | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 7:00 AM ET

What better time to make a prediction for the the NBA's final standings than three games into the current regular season? It may seem preemptive, sure, but diagnosing a team's early trends and trying to map out their ultimate fate using them is a good method to determine what may make or break a team down the line.

Enter the (for now) 1-2 Washington Wizards, a team still in a position (even if it is waning with each loss) to challenge their maligned reputation in recent years with a fresh cast of talent, both seasoned and new to the league.

The Bigger Picture

While their lopsided win-loss ratio through three games isn't necessarily encouraging, D.C. is still in an advantageous position in the wider image of the Eastern Conference, both by their own potential and the less than desirable situation some of the league's usual top teams find themselves in.

Take both the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers, for example. Two recently finals-bound teams - teams that made the rest of the Eastern Conference look like a relative cakewalk - essentially out of commission this season due to the injured state of their team-leading stars. Unless either of those teams put together a miraculous run, the league will naturally shift, especially towards the top.

Patrick McDermott/GettyImages

Where Washington Stands

Regarding the Wizards outlook specifically, they're already making a case for one of the most offensively proficient teams in the entire East. Led by rookie Tre Johnson and sophomore Alex Sarr — who are loudly making a case as the team's two primary, face-of-the-franchise options going forward — Washington has scored 115+ points in each of their first three games.

The offense simply shows no signs of slowing down, and for that reason alone, the Wizards will be in a position to win a lot of games.

All the same, those aforementioned young players will be at the helm when unavoidable defensive issues come knocking; the sort that just allowed the Charlotte Hornets to put up 139 points on the Wizards' home floor in a brutal home loss.

So while Washington may be in legitimate conference conversation in a few years time, given they make a few necessary moves between now and then, they're more than likely a fringe playoff team for the time being. That seems generous, given their sub-20 win total in the last two seasons, but this is a clearly improved roster with more upside than anything else.

If some of that is realized and, down the stretch, Washington starts to play a fuller brand of basketball, this Wizards team looks like a 9-seed, play-in team entering postseason competition, with a chance to make a first round splash in the weakest Eastern Conference in years.

Don't count on them, but at the same time, don't count them out. This is a comfortable chaos for a franchise seemingly on the rise.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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