Wizards Starting to Feel National TV Love
As a fellow Washington Wizards fan from the DC Metropolitan area, I have grown accustomed to not expecting much from the local sports franchises. This rings even more true when it comes to the squads being on national television for all the world to see. The Washington Wizards have already been graced with two marquee games in the “soft opening” of the NBA schedule, as it recently announced by the league. The national broadcasted games of the Wizards include their opening night game against the Philadelphia 76ers in the newly anointed “Capital One Arena” (formerly, the Verizon Center), and the all-important Christmas Day scheduled game against the Boston Celtics.
With those facts in mind, it surely seems as if the Wizards have put the NBA on notice, and it may appear that the general public actually has interest in watching the Wizards play. I’m not saying that I blame them, as the team that was on the cusp of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals in 2016, after falling in seven games to their bitter rival; the Celtics. Point guard John Wall and company will certainly will have Christmas marked on their calendars in more ways than one, as the franchise may get a chance at redemption.
#Wizards open the season at home vs. 76ers (ESPN) on October 18th and play at Boston (ABC) on Christmas.
Just 5 national TV games last year. pic.twitter.com/dxdmHXLkjm— Hoop District 💎 (@HoopDistrictDC) August 10, 2017
Surely, the NBA world will start to see that this DC team is not going to fade away anytime soon, as they had a busy off-season, re-signing their two main targets in John Wall (to a super-max extension) and Otto Porter (restricted free agent max offer). By keeping their core intact, the Wizards seem poised for another major playoff run this season, as most of the Eastern Conference talent has appeared to move out to the West. I fully expect for the Wizards to finish with nothing worse than the third-best record in the East during the 2017-2018 NBA season, as they should earn each and every national television game they are graced with.
The Wizards getting prime slots on both opening week and Christmas national TV schedules is a sign of a new day for D.C. hoops.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) August 10, 2017
In the eyes of the viewing public, the Wizards are a team that is supposedly okay with only making the postseason. I would disagree, as this franchise seems to be a true contender, and could be set up for long-term success. The fact that the NBA is finally giving the Wizards some much-needed love this season shows they have turned a corner, and appear ready to make a big leap in years to come.
Photo Credit: ABC Sports
