Fansided

NBA Season Preview 2018-19: Preseason power rankings

By Ian Levy

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 29: Stephen Curry #30 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors laugh in the hallway before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 29, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 29: Stephen Curry #30 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors laugh in the hallway before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 29, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 16
Next
WASHINGTON, DC –  OCTOBER 12: Markieff Morris #5 and John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards on the bench during the game against the Guangzhou Long-Lions on October 12, 2018 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC –  OCTOBER 12: Markieff Morris #5 and John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards on the bench during the game against the Guangzhou Long-Lions on October 12, 2018 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Previous: . Washington Wizards. 15. team. 142. .

On the court, Dwight Howard is still a useful player and a lot is riding on that fact for the Washington Wizards. Even in his aged and physically deteriorated form he is still a capable pick-and-roll threat and a better interior defender than Marcin Gortat. If John Wall bounces back, Howard stays Howard, and some of the young pieces take another step forward they could make some noise in the East.

Off the court, Howard’s personality has proven to be gasoline and this Wizards locker room certainly looks, to the outside, like a mountainous pile of dry tinder waiting for a spark. The most interesting variables to track for Washington this season will be ones of chemistry. If they can avoid an explosion on that front, they could be pretty good. If they can’t, the center of the earth is the limit.