The Wizards have lost all three games with Rashard Lewis in uniform, and they are just 1-4 since Josh Howard returned from his left knee surgery, but could the team be nearing a breakthrough? After defeating the Wizards 100-93 on Monday, Houston Rockets coach Rick Adelman came away impressed with the collection of talent in Washington and felt that a turnaround was possible.
"I'd say that team has Lewis, with [John] Wall coming back, and Josh Howard coming back, and down the road if they don't get hurt again, that team is going to be a lot better team than what their record indicates," Adelman said.
Since Lewis joined the team, the Wizards have utilized three different starting lineups, and will soon make another change whenever Wall is moved back to starting point guard. But they have been more competitive, especially considering that the competition during their three-game losing streak was Chicago (first-place team in the Central Division), San Antonio (holders of the league's best record) and Houston (the hottest team in the NBA, with a five-game winning streak).
"They have talent at every position and now they have some new pieces, so they're trying to find themselves and see how everyone is going to help out," Rockets point guard Aaron Brooks said. "Wall is coming back and playing good basketball. They're a good team."
The Wizards (7-22) have had 14 different starting lineups though the first 29 games, which leads the league, and Coach Flip Saunders has been unable to settle on any consistent rotation. But as the team prepares to play its next two games against the Indiana Pacers, Saunders is hopeful that things will start to settle down.
"We have to keep this group together and get better as a team," Coach Flip Saunders said. "We need to start having some continuity."
Although he is still in search of his first win as a Wizard, Lewis believes that it won't be long. "We're playing well," Lewis said after the loss in Houston. "We're playing good defense. I can definitely say that we're going to start winning ball games. You can tell by the attitude in this locker room."
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