2004-2005 Washington Wizards Turnaround

2004-2005 Washington Wizards Turnaround

2004-2005 Washington Wizards: Great Improvement

The franchise had a strong history as the Washington Bullets, but it began to struggle as soon as it was renamed the Wizards. After the name change in 1997, the team had trouble finding its footing in the NBA. Even Michael Jordan, during his run as president of basketball operations, couldn’t take the Wizards to the next level on or off the court. From 1997 to 2004, the Wizards didn’t come anywhere near the playoffs.

A Major Turnaround in the Regular Season

The 2004-2005 Washington Wizards went 45-37, finishing 14 games behind the Miami Heat in the Southeast Division. The Wizards went 29-12 on their home court at the MCI Center and only 16-25 on the road. They went 10-6 in divisional play and 3-1 in regular-season overtime games. It was a big improvement over 2003-2004, when they went only 25-57.

The Players Behind the Turnaround

Backcourt Stars Arenas and Hughes

Point guard Gilbert Arenas was instrumental in the Washington Wizards’ turnaround in the mid-2000s. Arenas had memorable nicknames such as Agent Zero and Nacho, and his teammates sometimes called him Gil. Arenas had 2,038 points, 378 rebounds, 411 assists and 139 steals, making 205 of 562 3-point shots and 520 of 640 free throws. He was named to the All-NBA Third Team. Shooting guard Larry Hughes had 1,345 points, 382 rebounds, 285 assists and 176 steals, making 59 of 209 3-point shots and 352 of 453 free throws. Hughes was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.

The Supporting Cast

Power forward Antawn Jamison had 1,334 points and 519 rebounds, making 71 of 208 3-point shots and 225 of 296 free throws. Center Brendan Haywood had 637 points, 464 rebounds and 114 blocks, making 239 of 427 field goal attempts and 159 of 261 free throws. Small forward Jarvis Hayes had 553 points and 227 rebounds, making 42 of 123 3-point shots and 99 of 118 free throws. Small forward Jared Jeffries had 523 points, 374 rebounds and 151 assists, making 16 of 51 3-point shots and 101 of 173 free throws. Shooting guard Juan Dixon had 507 points and 111 assists, making 48 of 147 3-point shots and 87 of 97 free throws.

Regular Season Highlights

An Overtime Win Over the Lakers

One overtime victory that stood out came on December 17, when the Wizards went into the Staples Center in Los Angeles and beat the Los Angeles Lakers 120-116. The Lakers were only a short time removed from their days as an NBA championship dynasty. Agent Zero was on a mission to lead his team to victory, as Gilbert Arenas had 37 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Larry Hughes had 33 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Antawn Jamison had 22 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists.

A Seven-Game Winning Streak

The Wizards enjoyed a 7-game winning streak that began with a 104-101 win over the Atlanta Hawks on January 2 and ended with a 108-103 win over the Phoenix Suns on January 15.

The 2005 Playoff Run

Falling Behind Early Against the Bulls

In the first round of the 2005 Eastern Conference playoffs, the Wizards faced a team that was also trying to establish its own identity after Michael Jordan’s departure as a player in 1998. The Wizards eliminated the Chicago Bulls 4 games to 2.

Early in the series, things didn’t look good for the Wizards, as the Bulls jumped out to a 2-0 lead. The Bulls beat the Wizards 103-94 in Game 1 on April 24 at the United Center and won 113-103 in Game 2 on April 27. Fortunately for Washington, the team responded well and went to work. In Game 3 on April 30 at the MCI Center, the Wizards beat the Bulls 117-99. Agent Zero was on point, as Gilbert Arenas had 32 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Antawn Jamison had 21 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Larry Hughes had 21 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Power forward and center Etan Thomas stepped up off the bench with 20 points and 9 rebounds.

Rallying to Win the Series

In Game 4 on May 2, the Wizards evened the series at 2 games apiece with a 106-99 win. Juan Dixon emerged as Washington’s main scoring threat with 35 points and 5 rebounds, making 3 of 4 3-point shots. Agent Zero had another solid game, as Arenas had 23 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists while making 2 of 3 3-point shots. Jamison had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals.

In Game 5 on May 4 at the United Center, the Wizards barely escaped with a 112-110 win. Larry Hughes led the offensive charge with 33 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. Jamison had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Brendan Haywood had 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks. Arenas had 16 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists.

Finally, in Game 6 on May 6 at the MCI Center, the Wizards held on to win another close game, 94-91. Hughes had 21 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Arenas had 19 points and 7 assists. Jamison had 19 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists while making 2 of 2 3-point shots.

Swept by the Heat

The 2004-2005 Washington Wizards had improved a great deal in the regular season and cleared their first playoff obstacle. However, they could not overcome the firepower building in South Beach, and the Miami Heat swept them 4 games to none in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Washington Wizards stayed competitive and returned to the playoffs for each of the next three years, a run covered in more detail in the 2004–05 Washington Wizards season overview and the seasons that followed.