Inside The Wizards

Wizards Bottom in Power Rankings, But There's Hope

The Washington Wizards are still at the bottom of the NBA power rankings.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 21, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) controls the ball against Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) controls the ball against Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards remain in last place in the Eastern Conference with just four tallies in the win column so far this season.

The Wizards are also at No. 30 in NBA.com writer John Schuhmann's most recent power rankings.

"The Wizards got their fourth win of the season on Thursday, surviving a huge shooting-opportunity discrepancy to beat the Hornets," Schuhmann writes.

"The Wizards will host the Hornets again this week, but their schedule doesn’t start to soften until the new year. They’re 1-17 against the 16 teams that currently have winning records, playing three of their next four against the Thunder and Knicks."

The other teams in the bottom five are the New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors.

Even though things look bleak for the Wizards, Schuhmann believes there is reason to be optimistic.

"Though their schedule has remained pretty tough, the Wizards have cut their point differential from -16.9 (through Dec. 6) to -14.7 points per game. That keeps them from having the worst differential in NBA history (-15.2, 1992-93 Mavs), and the schedule will get easier," Schuhmann writes.

The Wizards have faced a gauntlet of a schedule to start the season, but January looks like there will be plenty of opportunity to add to their win total. While wins and losses aren't of paramount importance for the Wizards this season, getting a few victories under their belt should be a desire of theirs.

Knowing how competitive the NBA can be, the Wizards are chomping at the bit to win as many games as they can with their limited abilities.

The Wizards return to the court tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are No. 2 in Schuhmann's power rankings behind the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET inside the Paycom Center.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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