Is a championship far fetched? Just ask Beantown

August 28, 11:35 AMWashington Wizards ExaminerGeorge Panagakos

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It's fair to say the Boston Celtics stole the show last year, after an unlikely offseason resulted in a league best 66-16 record leading into the postseason.  Albeit a rough start to the playoffs, Boston's 17th NBA Championship banner would soon follow, as would the celebratory words of Kevin Garnett, who became immortalized with the phrase, "Anything is possible!"

What's possible for the Washington Wizards this year?  One might start with their wins against Boston last season.  Out of the 16 losses suffered by the Celtics in 2007-08, three of those losses came by the hands of the Washington Wizards.  In fact, a single win against the Celtics last year could not be attained by 17 teams in the league.  Could the Wizards dethrone the elusive Celtics, and move on to claim their own bit of history this postseason?

During back-to-back Washington wins against Boston last January, Gilbert Arenas could not play due to injury, and DeShawn Stevenson averaged 17.5 points per game in Arenas' absence.  With the addition of rookie center JaVale McGee and all of the regulars re-signed and ready to go, a healthy Washington Wizards could certainly go far in the East this year and upset some teams.  The wild card, as I see it, will be the newly-tuned Toronto Raptors, now equipped with the tandem of Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Bosh.  Although, the Wizards did beat the Raptors 3-1 in their season split last season.  Maybe the Detroit Pistons -- after all, Gilbert Arenas does believe this will be Kwame Brown's year (is it just me, or is it amazing that Kwame Brown is only 26?) -- will give Washington the most trouble.

I guess anything is indeed possible.  The Wizards have had a "Big Three" of their own for quite a while, and now have a solid bench to support a championship. However, if anything is possible, does that mean Mike D'Antoni could coach the New York Knicks to an Eastern Finals? In that case, Wizards over Knicks in a best of seven for '09, just like old times.  Be there. 
 

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