Taking a Look at the Miami Heat’s Competition in the East

Washington Wizards

May 15, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) and guard Bradley Beal (3) react against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half in game six of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

If you’re not threatened by the Pacers, then how about the young and talented Wizards? John Wall is arguably a top-five point guard, and even though the analytics say Bradley Beal is yet to be a top-tier shooting guard, he’s still a talented player with tremendous potential. Beal posted a below-league-average player efficiency rating last season (14.1), but he did shoot a career best 40.9 percent from beyond the arc.

For the past two years, fans and writers have overlooked the Wizards, and in both years they went far into the playoffs and proved to be a difficult out. If Wall’s hand wasn’t broken, it’s fair to assume they had a chance beat the Hawks and move on to the Eastern Finals. This team hasn’t made any big additions this offseason, but due to the ages of Wall and Beal, just getting another year of experience could be considered a team improvement.

Next: The Bulls