‘Caron Butler at the line’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

A rough sports year will sometimes mean grabbing little victories wherever you can get them. Still, there are definitely some legitimate bounces that will help restore faith that things will indeed get better. Last night was just one of those nights for the Washington Wizards, beating the odds and four other teams with higher probabilities to secure the #1 pick in the 2010 draft. The Wiz may have had the worst of it of any team – controversy around its biggest star and the unfortunate loss of its owner, Abe Pollin – so this was definitely a needed break in their favor.

Smart money suggests that management – which now includes Capitals Owner Ted Leonsis – will likely grab John Wall, the freshmen phenom who spent one year in college before declaring earlier this spring. Aaron Morrissey definitely won the headline war this morning over at DCist (“Great Wall of Chinatown” – well done, sir), but there are many more reasons for Wizards fans to be ecstatic beyond the likely pick of the Kentucky point guard.

Ultimately, when June 24th rolls around, whether it’s John Wall or another top prospect, the Wizards will be adding a third leg to complete DC’s “Big Three” of pro sports. The young, top-pick talent of this pick, Alexander Ovechkin and Stephen Strasburg will hopefully be something sports fans around the District can get excited about for many years to come.