Matthes Manifesto II: Where do the Indiana Pacers stack up in the East?

The Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards are seventh because of immense cracks in their foundation that seem destined to lead to another collapse. Washington won six fewer games last year than the year before. It was a season of apparent internal (although externally denied) tensions, not just between stars (John Wall and Bradley Beal) but between teammates and the now departed center (Marcin Gortat). Gortat’s departure was joyously received in Washington.

But his replacement…

Let’s pause for a second. Dwight Howard is coming off his best season since 2014 (the last year he made an all-star team). He had 53 double-doubles. Seven times he grabbed 20 or more rebounds in a game. He grabbed 595 more rebounds than the Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner, finishing third in the entire league. 31 times he scored 20 or more points. Twice he had 20-20 games. He is the best center Wall and Beal has ever played him.

In a vacuum, Howard is an immense improvement over a declining Gortat. In a vacuum, you’d look at these Wizards and only see a bright immediate future were they would compete with Boston and Toronto.

But basketball isn’t played in a vacuum. Howard was given away not once, but twice this off-season. The list of teams who’ve had their culture poisoned by him is long and reads like a biblical genealogy: Orlando begat Los Angles who begat Houston who begat Atlanta who begat Charlotte, and after a brunch in Brooklyn here he is in Washington.

The most likely result would see things going awry is some destructive fashion like they have at every other stop Howard’s made, if not immediately then eventually. The Wizards could and should be higher on this list, but can they manage the unmanageable?