Wizards fans always wait for the other shoe to drop. But what if it doesn’t?

Wizards fans have modest hopes after a disappointing year and summer. Maybe the team will actually overachieve now that expectations are lower.

by Ben Epstein and Mike Prada

Sep 14, 2016, 1:44 PM UTC

With expectations lower, maybe the Wizards will overachieve this year.

Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

It’s finally time to talk about Mike’s beloved Washington Wizards. He can’t avoid the subject any longer.

Last year was not pleasant for Wizards fans. High hopes for a deep playoff run and strong impression to a certain 2016 free agent faded quickly with a slow start and mediocre finish. The cost was severe: Kevin Durant quickly gave them the cold shoulder and Plan B target Al Horford chose the Boston Celtics at the very last minute. Ernie Grunfeld and company recovered by signing useful role players and replacing the much-maligned Randy Wittman with the more popular Scott Brooks, but those initial failures still sting.

So what’s left to accomplish this year? Can they be a threat in the Eastern Conference anyway? To help answer those questions, fellow Wizards fans Lyndie Wood and Michael Sykes of SB Nation’s Wizards blog Bullets Forever join the show.

Among the topics discussed:

Why did the transition to a fast-paced style fail so badly?
So they missed on Durant and Horford. How much of a different will the offseason moves they did finalize — hiring Scott Brooks, signing Ian Mahinmi, et al -- make?
How concerning is the recent tension between John Wall and Bradley Beal? What must be done to maximize the potential of that pairing?
How much can fans expect Wall and Beal to improve this season? Which player’s performance is more important to the team’s ultimate success this year?

The predictions at the end might surprise you as well. Next up in our offseason series: the Chicago Bulls.