Washington kept up its awful start Saturday by dropping one to the Magic. The Wizards, missing Gilbert Arenas for another month or so and Brendan Haywood for the season, have begun the season 0-5. Eddie Jordan hears the guillotine being prepared. Antawn Jamison has to start wondering if he'll be shipped out should the prayed-for rebound never come.The Clippers sit a bit further down at 0-6. In fairness to the Clips, none of the team's losses have come to the Knicks. Or the Nets. Or the Bucks. (Yep, 'Zards fans: all those teams have beaten Washington this season.) L.A.'s schedule has been tough, every opponent a playoff contender. Two matches with the Jazz. Two with the Lakers (including a home game in Staples. Ha!) Denver. Houston. It's quite a murderer's row for a hurting, somewhat confused roster.
These teams will win at some point. L.A. draws feisty Dallas today; its next game is a hosting of uneven, somewhat pitiful Sacramento on Wednesday. Washington has only two games this week: Utah in D.C. (good luck with that) and at Miami on Friday. The schedule is stacked for the Clips, it would seem: a win against the Mavericks or Kings is far more likely than Washington beating the Jazz.
And really, L.A.'s in a much better position at this point.
Again, the Clippers have faced a rough schedule while the major moving parts are trying to a) get healthy, and b) learn how to play with one another. Washington's core has been together forever (excepting rookie JaVale McGee) and the schedule has been cake. Things get brutal for the Wizards in December -- Portland, Lakers, Bulls, Pistons, Celtics, Sixers, Pacers, Pistons, Sixers, Mavs ... that's one three-week stretch leading up to Christmas. If Washington isn't beating the Knicks, the Nets, the Bucks ... who exactly do the Wizards expect to beat? Is this the '07'-08 Heat all over again?
