Dave Betancourt | Sports Section Manager

3/01/02

Michael Jordan isn't going to be around for a while and there's nothing the Washington Wizards can do about it.  After trying to play through obvious pain Jordan decided that if there was any hope for him to continue this season he would have to take a break and have his knee operated on. Jordan had his operation and it revealed that he had torn cartilage in his injured knee.  The prognosis for such and injury is anywhere from three to six weeks of recovery time.

Now more than ever, Jordan is realizing that at 39 his body just can't do all the things his mind is telling him too.  It's a tough break for the Wizards who at the all-star break were one of the hottest stories in the NBA.  In the weak eastern conference Jordan had the Wizards in playoff contention, a phrase unfamiliar to D.C. natives who had grown accustomed to the Wizards stinking up the floor on a nightly basis.

It's been a season of adjustments for this otherwise young Wizards team. At the beginning of the season they suffered from being far to dependant on Jordan.  When they were on offense they would seemingly just look at Jordan and hope he figured things out.  Once they finally got accustomed to the idea of playing with Jordan however they got on a roll winning 9 games in a row at one point.  But with Jordan gone for at least the next three weeks things look bleak at best.

Some people are writing the Wizards off.  NBC has cancelled all of the Wizards games that they were to have televised at least until Jordan's return.  Despite their recent slump the Wizards still have a chance to make the playoffs because of how weak the eastern conference is. However, in order to do that they must continue to win while Jordan is injured. A huge losing streak while Jordan is on the bench could dig a whole that not even Jordan himself could get out of once healthy.  Here's what the Wizards need to do to stay alive in the playoff hunt.

First off, shooting guard Rip Hamilton must step up big time.  With Jordan gone, Hamilton must become the leader of the team.  In the Wizards first game since Jordan¹s surgery he did just that having 31 points in a close loss to a very good Portland Trail Blazers team.  When the Wizards were hot, Hamilton was the one draining the big shots while Jordan took a secondary role.   Hamilton is an excellent perimeter shooter with a 15 foot jumper that will fall anytime he gets a good screen.  If Hamilton can give the Wizards at least 20 points a game, they'll have a chance every night.

Secondly is the play of the Wizards big men.  Although both are banged up right now the Wizards front court of starting center Jahaidi White and rookie center Brendon Haywood is extremely important if the Wizards hope to win while Jordan is hurt.  Even though White is undersized for a center at 6'9, his strength and rebounding more than make up for it. Haywood, a solid seven footer, is the future of the Wizards at center and is vital when it comes to points off the bench.  He is very athletic for his size since his dramatic weight loss from his college days at UNC and can be a monster in the post.  Haywood is still a young rookie though and can only do so much.

Third is the development of Kwame Brown.  Since becoming the first ever high school player to be selected number one overall in the NBA draft not much has been heard of Brown.  He proved at the beginning of the season that his lack of experience was hindering him greatly on the court and when the Wizards started winning games they kept him on the bench. Jordan may be the focus of the Wizards now, but Brown is the future.

Brown was drafted because of his untapped raw potential.  Potential means productivity in the future, not right now. The Wizards know they can't push Brown to hard or he might crack, but now with Jordan injured Brown must step up as well and prove to the the NBA world that there was a reason he was the number one pick in the draft.  Despite being only 19 Brown has good size for the post, is very quick and has good handles with the ball.   He must take advantage of his increased playing time and start growing up a little faster.

Last but certainly not least, the Wizards must play well as a team.  One thing Jordan is and always has been a master of is getting everyone on the court involved.  Jordan commands so much attention from defenses that he can always find a way to hit the open man.  The Wizards must learn to trust each other and hope that they can rack off enough wins to keep them in the playoff hunt until Jordan is able to return.