Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards are a basketball franchise in the North American basketball league NBA. The franchise is in Washington, D.C. home and plays its home games at the Verizon Center.

Team History

The club was founded in 1961 under the name Chicago Packers is originally from Chicago, Illinois. In his second season, coached by Jim Pollard team played under the new name Zephyrs. In 1963 the company moved to Baltimore, Maryland. Initially, the team was not very good, but could be greatly improved and reached 1965 for the first time the play-offs by good draft picks. When NBA Draft 1967 and 1968 were drafted with Earl Monroe and Wes Unseld important players. Therefore, the Bullets improved steadily and reached, after they had lost in the previous two years against the New York Knicks, with a victory against this for the first time in the history of the finals. But against the team from Milwaukee defeated the team with 0:4 in games. This was followed in the 1970s, the most successful period of the franchise. It has a talented team to Wes Unseld Center and the neuverpflichteten Elvin Hayes built after Earl Monroe in 1971 had left the club. After the team initially did not harmonize so well, the balance sheet has been steadily improving, but in the play- offs was subject to three years in a row, once again the Knicks. But 1975 could be achieved after victories against Buffalo and Boston to the NBA Finals. The finals but the team lost against the motion by Rick Barry Golden State Warriors with 0-4 in games, as before against Milwaukee. In the next two seasons, the Bullets stumbled a bit and eliminated in the play- offs early. However, in the 1977/ 78 to date, only NBA Championship against the Seattle Supersonics was won after seven games. The two sides met in the next season in the Finals, this time the Sonics clearly won 4-1. After the Wizards never achieved to date again the Finals, but were in the 1980s, one of the most consistent NBA teams. 22 years in a row ( 1967-1989 ) came to the team at least 35 victories per season and reached 18 times the play-offs. But the team reached in the 1980s only once the second round of play-offs. In 1988, the team was the last time for the next eight years in the play-offs. Before the team was renamed in 1997, it could reach before the first time in eight years the play-offs. The last game of the play-off series that was lost to the Chicago Bulls, also marked the end of an era, which was initiated by a change of ownership. From the Bullets ( German: projectiles ), the Wizards ( German: Wizard ). This step was the face of American murder statistics made ​​in Washington, DC always one of the first ranks occupied. Also, the wizards no longer play their home games at the U.S. Airways Arena, which is located in Landover, Maryland, but in the newly Verizon Center in Washington, DC. Between 2000 and 2003 Michael Jordan was co-owner of the franchise and also played himself nor for the team. The success did not come yet, but still reached the Wizards from 2005 to 2008 four times the play-offs. After the Wizards reached until today no longer the play-offs and won in the 2008 /09 season only 19 games. Therefore, the Wizards are currently in the rebuild and could by winning the Draft Lottery pod judge John Wall in the first place. On January 24, 2012 they released their head coach Flip Saunders and Randy Wittman appointed as his successor. The season ended with a record of 20 wins and 46 defeats.

With 29 wins and 53 defeats in the 2012/13 season, the playoffs could not be reached again, although this was the best record since 2008. However, due to numerous injuries the team had to give up power sources such as John Wall or Emeka Okafor long. For the 2013/2014 season the team was changed to some key positions. Via Trade Center Marcin Gortat has been committed by the Phoenix Suns. In return, the injury-prone Emeka Okafor was issued. Similarly, the veterans Al Harrington and Eric Maynor were obliged to strengthen the squad in width. Through the Draft Rookies Otto Porter and Glen Rice Jr. also came to the Wizards.

Current squad

Honors and significant achievements

Pictures of Washington Wizards

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