Dribbles: Wizards woeful, but were my first favorite; Cavs just need wins

Random dribbles ahead of the Cavaliers’ home against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

1. This is the start of a six-game “homestand” for the Cavs. I used quotes because one of those games is in Paris vs. the Nets on  Jan. 11.

2. More importantly, it’s two straight vs. the lowly Wizards at home. The Cavs (18-15) need to win both. But they can’t be overconfident. This is the NBA and the Hornets just snapped an 11-game skid at Sacramento. Anything can happen.

3. My first favorite NBA team? That’s right. The Washington Wizards. Of course, they were called the Bullets back then. How practicing wizardry is safer than stationary bullets sitting on a shelf, I’ll never know. That’s a joke. But I never really understood the name change under former Wizards owner Abe Pollin.

4. But Wizards they are, and guess what? They haven’t put together a 50-win season since 1979. Honest. It’s been that long since the Wizards hit 50. They have sort of become the Detroit Lions of the NBA. Then again, even the Lions are winning today. The Wizards (6-26) are not.

5. Translation: They won’t be winning 50 games this year, either. I eventually broke up with the Wizards — but as I told them at the time, they will always hold a special, nostalgic place in my heart. Now when it comes to the NBA, my favorite team is this website.

6. The Wizards are undergoing a complete and ugly rebuild under new president of basketball operations Michael Winger, a Cleveland native. He came to Washington from the Clippers but was once employed by the Cavs.

7. Wizards assistant coach James Posey is also a Cleveland native and played high school ball at Twinsburg. He eventually played in the NBA and was on the Cavs’ staff when they won the championship (2016).

8. The Cavs will likely again start Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, Jarrett Allen and Max Strus.

9. Cleveland is 11-2 against opponents with records under .500 this season. So the Cavs should be able to gain some ground in the East race before the weekend. Despite all the injuries, they’re just one game behind the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic for the fourth seed in the East.

10. No one is finishing ahead of the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks or Philadelphia 76ers. Barring injuries, those will be your top three East seeds. So the Cavs will be in a big fight for fourth — the seed they had last season. I still believe anything can happen once they get to the postseason, if healthy. The Heat and Nuggets proved that last year. You didn’t pick either of them to play in the Finals and neither did I. Lesson learned.