Feb. 20, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall during game against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Wizards 104-88. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

The Wizards have worlds to go before they can be mentioned in even the same breath as even the lower tier teams in the Eastern Conference.   They been cellar dwellers.

Their franchise player, John Wall, is still finding his way as an NBA point guard, and several other Wizards leave a lot to be desired (That means you Andray Blatche).  With the addition of Bradley Beal, though,the Wizards could have a top-10 backcourt.

It really all comes down to how they do on interior.  Emeka Okafor is undersized and Nene is no longer a young piece around which a team could be built.  The Wizards have a nice 1-2-3 trio too, with Chris Singleton being a legit NBA defender, even one who drew comparisons to NBA legend Scottie Pippen.  Singleton called himself the best defender in his draft class, and I think many would be hard pressed to negate that claim.

Throw in some other talented young guys, Shelvin Mack, Jan Vesely, and starting shooting guard Jordan Crawford, and the Wizards could be a team we talk about in three or four seasons.  It’s a long term window for the Wizards, but rebuilding is a real thing here.  With a strong four guard rotation, a number of good defenders (Nene, Trevor Ariza, Singleton) at the forward position.

The development of John Wall is going to be crucial, though. He must realize at this point he is becoming an NBA veteran who has the ability to lead a team.  He’s in his third year now and averaged 16 points per game and 8 assists per game in his first two seasons, with 1.8 and 1.4 steals per game between the two seasons.  That puts him in pretty elite company.  He was 10th in assists in 2010-11 and 4th in assists last year.  He was 5th in minutes played, 7th in steals, played all 66 games, and has shown himself to be in the top tier of guards.

Is he on the same plane as Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Derrick Rose?  No, but he is in that next tier with Kyle Lowry, Jeremy Lin, Jeff Teague, Kyrie Irving, and Ty Lawson.  I would throw Wall ahead of all those second tier guards except for Lowry, and possibly Lin.

The fact remains, Wall is the most gifted athlete of all those elite point guards except for Derrick Rose, and that should render him in the top two or three point guards in the league.  What is preventing that?  Why isn’t Wall on the same level as Paul and Williams?  Or even his athletic equivalent Derrick Rose (Though make no mistake, Rose is a better athlete)?

There is just so much Wall has yet to grasp mentally, and one of the biggest of those things is that he is capable of taking over games.  He hasn’t tried.  He was 8th in the league in free throw attempts with 402 last year.  Getting to the line like that and hitting at a 78% clip should make him a go to player.  If he could get up over 82%, he would be golden.

But it isn’t all on Wall.  Wall is the key, make no mistake, but they have to get something out of Blatche.  He’s being paid too much to do nothing.  There’s just a problem when you are counting on head case second round picks to carry your team.  We’ll look more at the Wizards in my next piece regarding which team is likely to sniff the playoffs between Washington, Charlotte, and Orlando.

Here we go:

1. Nene, C, Nuggets 

Nene is the prize of the 2011 free agent class. Nene is a plus defender that can score. This past season in 75 games played, Nene averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Nene is often labeled as an injury risk, but the veteran big man has only missed 12 games over the last three seasons. Playoff experience and the combination of offense and defense outweigh the downside of being 29 and on the verge of signing him to a long-term contract. Since capable centers are rare, expect many teams to be making a run at him.

2. Tyson Chandler, C, Mavericks

Chandler is coming off of a championship season and established himself as an elite defender by really taking his game to the next level during the post season. The Mavericks have to resign him if they hope to make another legit run at the title. The Mavs have made resigning him their number one priority, but all indications point to Chandler leaving town. The veteran defender is not getting any younger and has had his fair share of injuries over the years. However, he has proven that he can be what it takes to be that missing piece to the championship puzzle. In 74 games played this past season, Chandler averaged 10.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

3. David West, PF, Hornets 

The veteran former all star surely did benefit from the lockout and got a few extra months to allow his surgically repaired knee to heal. West is not short on scoring and his above average mid-range jumper helps GM’s feel better about signing him to a deal given his age. In 70 games played this season, West averaged 18.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

4. Marc Gasol, C, Grizzlies (restricted)

Gasol helped the Grizzlies reach Game 7 of the conference semifinals and would be the number one overall free agent if he weren’t restricted. Besides all that, he is now the number one Gasol in the league. The Grizzlies will have to shell out a lot of money and intend on matching offers to keep Gasol in Memphis for the long haul. At only 26 years old, Gasol has plenty of upside and is on the verge of becoming a superstar in his own right. In 81 games played this past season, Gasol averaged 11.7 points and 7 rebounds per game. Those numbers jumped up to 15 and 11.2 during the post season.

5. Jeff Green, F, Celtics (r)

Green has a tremendous amount of talent, but at what position? The ultimate tweener has plenty of scoring capabilities, but needs to work on his all around game in order to make a legitimate contribution on a nightly basis. All indications have Green returning to the Celtics and this seems to the perfect place for him to shine. In Boston, Green will not be counted on to start and can put up plenty of minutes either at guard or forward for the aging Green Team. In 75 games played this past season, Green averaged 13.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

6. DeAndre Jordan, C, Clippers (r)

Jordan is another player that would be rated much higher had he not have been restricted. He can block shots, rebound and play decent defense. While he is limited offensively, he could be extremely valuable to teams like Boston, New York, Miami or Dallas where he would not be counted on to score and can contribute in the areas where he excels. The Clippers are committed to matching offers, but just how high they plan to match is not known. In 80 games played this past season, Jordan averaged 7.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.

7. Kris Humphries, F, Nets 

(Insert joke about marriage here) All kidding aside, Humphries is a legitimate double double guy and a player worth taking a flier on in free agency. Bigs that can score and rebound don’t come around too often. Some say the numbers are inflated due to playing extended minutes on a bad team, but the kid can rebound and that is something teams will pay a lot of money for in any off season. In 74 games played this past season, Humphries averaged 10 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.

8. Thaddeus Young, F, 76ers (r)

Young can play a multitude of positions and his flexibility helped the rise of the 76ers this past season. Seen as more of a sixth man, the 76ers would be foolish to let him hit the open market. Still, at only 23, Young can score and rebound with the best of them and would be a valuable addition to just about any team looking to make run at the championship. In 82 games played this past season, Young averaged 12.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game averaging only 26 minutes played.

9. Grant Hill, F, Suns

Over the past three seasons, Hill has averaged at least 80 games played, 12.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. With the Suns looking to rebuild, Hill could be on the move. Hill may not be the dominating player he once was, but his experience and leadership qualities make him a valuable pickup for team looking to put together a complete all around club.

10. Glen Davis, PF, Celtics

Big Baby shined in Boston and the Celtics were able to get the most out of his ability. Davis is best suited to be the first man off the bench. Davis is capable of scoring; rebounding and providing the all around spark a team needs at times. Being that Davis is not seen as a starter in the league may hurt his chances in free agency, but a return to a team like the Celtics could be mutually beneficial. In 78 games played this past season, Davis averaged 11.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.