Stackhouse, Wizards have outside shot at Eastern Conference playoffs

The changing of the guard is upon us. As the professional and collegiate football seasons start to look ahead to the playoffs and bowl games, basketball fever is starting to catch on among sports fanatics.

Mike Albans / KRT Campus Michael Jordan and his Wizards are one of the top contenders in the East

College basketball officially started last week, and JMU's season starts this Friday. But since everyone's favorite time of the year, March Madness, is an eternity away, I'll instead discuss the NBA and our beloved Washington Wizards.

Almost three weeks into the season, the NBA is off to an interesting, somewhat unpredictable start. So far the story of the league is the Dallas Mavericks and their 10-0 start (through Saturday's games), with crazy-haired forward Dirk Nowitzki leading the way. But there's a team about two hours northeast of Harrisonburg who also could make some noise in the NBA this year.

After a successful 5-3 preseason, the Washington Wizards are off to an impressive 6-4 start, posting victories in six of their last seven contests. Their most recent victory came Nov. 16, a 30-point trashing against an Eastern Conference foe, the Miami Heat. In a competitive Atlantic Division that likely will be led by last year's runner-up, the New Jersey Nets, and a resurgent Orlando Magic squad featuring a potent one-two tandem of swingmen Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill, the Wizards have an outside shot at making the Eastern Conference playoffs. If no one noticed during the preseason, the Wizards treated everyone with their tricks on Halloween night, beating last year's conference finalist, the Boston Celtics, by a downright embarrassing score of 114-69. Coach Doug Collins' team has yet to be blown out of a game, their worst loss coming by just eight points.

Once Michael Jordan announced he was returning for another season and donning the blue and gold No. 23, Wizards fans started talking about their team's chances in the Eastern Conference. With acquisitions like guards Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes, as well as forwards Charles Oakley and Bryon "I got posterized by my new boss in the 1998 NBA finals" Russell, Washington has all the tools it needs to improve on last year's record. And when you add efficient role players like rookie guard Juan Dixon and first-year forward Jared Jeffries to the mix, the Wiz have good depth and balance at all positions. But let's make one thing clear — Stackhouse is the man who makes this team go, night in and night out. Period.

The former University of North Carolina superstar has been lights out on his new team, posting a 24.2 points per game clip and playing over 10 minutes more per game than any other Wizard. With all due respect to His Airness, Jordan isn't the featured scorer on this club — it's Stackhouse, hands down. Once dubbed as selfish and a player who sometimes takes ill-advised shots, "Stack" has learned to distribute the ball to open teammates, leading Washington with 4.9 assists per game.

Now if you know me fairly well, you know I'm a huge Tarheels fan. So it's only fitting if I toot the horn of my favorite school in all the land, by bringing up three UNC alums who will be crucial to the Wizards' success this season. The obvious ones are Jordan and Stackhouse — household names in the basketball world — but there's another Dean Smith product that you may not have heard of. His name is Brendan Haywood, a 7-foot center who's in his second year as a Wizard.

After some initial, expected struggles as a rookie last season, Haywood has started all but one game so far, providing a much-needed presence in the middle. His numbers won't jump out at you, but watch this guy play and you can't help but be impressed with his shot blocking, rebounding and intensity. To me, it's only a matter of time before Haywood and power forward Kwame Brown, last year's No. 1 draft pick, combine to form one of the most dangerous low-post combinations in the league. Oh, and did I mention they're 22 and 20 years young old, respectively? It's safe to say these guys will be patrolling the paint for a while.

When looking at Washington's 2002-'03 roster, one thing stands out — youth. This team has 10 players with four or fewer years of NBA experience. But fresh legs are starting to take over the league, and having substitutes like Dixon, Jeffries and center Etan Thomas ready to go anytime certainly helps. The two grandfathers on the squad are Jordan and Oakley, who have 31 years of NBA experience between them. Come playoff time, veteran leadership will be essential for this team loaded with young, raw talent.

It's obviously very early to predict how well any team will do over the course of an 82-game season. But if the opening weeks are any indication, the Washington Wizards will turn the heads of opposing teams and coaches. Instead of rambling on about where I think they will finish, I'll save myself the risk of jinxing their success by saying I'll root for them no matter what their record is. Anytime the greatest ever to play the game is on the floor, your team has a chance to win. Plus, I have to stay true to the Carolina bloodline in the NBA. And oh yeah, how will UNC basketball do this year? No comment.

Khalil Garriott is a junior SMAD major who is so desperate, he wishes his beloved Tarheels could grant former 7-foot-6-inch center Serge Zwikker an extra year of eligibility.