Editing Washington Wizards (section)

====2006–07====
[[File:washington wizards toronto raptors.JPG|thumb|right|250px|The Wizards in a home game against the [[2006–07 Toronto Raptors season|Toronto Raptors]], March 30, 2007.]]
The 2006–07 season started out very promisingly for the Wizards. In the off-season they signed free agents [[DeShawn Stevenson]] and [[Darius Songaila]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2538921|title=Wizards sign former Magic guard Stevenson|work=ESPN|date=August 4, 2006|access-date=December 14, 2022|last=Ford|first=Chad|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214102211/https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2538921|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nba.com/wizards/news/songaila_060719.html|title=Wizards Sign Forward Darius Songaila|work=Washington Wizards|publisher=NBA|last=Hernandez|first=E.|date=July 19, 2006|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214102205/https://www.nba.com/wizards/news/songaila_060719.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Etan Thomas beat out Haywood for the starting center job.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2643912|title=Wizards tab Thomas as starting center|work=ESPN|date=October 31, 2006|access-date=December 14, 2022|location=Washington|agency=The Associated Press|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214102205/https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2643912|url-status=live}}</ref> After starting the season 0–8 on the road, Washington rebounded to win 6 of 7 away from Verizon Center. After a November 4–9, Washington went 22–9 through December and January. Arenas scored a franchise-record 60 points against the [[2006–07 Los Angeles Lakers season|Lakers]] on December 17.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/261217013|title=Arenas sets franchise record with 60 points in overtime shootout|work=ESPN|agency=The Associated Press|date=December 18, 2006|access-date=December 14, 2022|location=Los Angeles|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214102212/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/261217013|url-status=dead}}</ref> He and Eddie Jordan were named player of the month and coach of the month for December, respectively. On January 3 and again on January 15, Arenas hit buzzer-beating three-pointers to beat [[2006–07 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee]] and [[2006–07 Utah Jazz season|Utah]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/washington-wizards/ranking-wildest-wizards-buzzer-beaters-2000|title=Ranking the wildest Wizards buzzer-beaters since 2000|work=NBC Sports|date=February 7, 2017|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214102211/https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/washington-wizards/ranking-wildest-wizards-buzzer-beaters-2000|url-status=live}}</ref>

On January 30, Jamison went down with a sprained left knee in a win against [[Detroit Pistons|Detroit]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2748873|title=Jamison leaves Wizards game vs. Pistons with injury|date=January 31, 2007|access-date=December 14, 2022|work=ESPN|agency=The Associated Press|location=Washington|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214102213/https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2748873|url-status=live}}</ref> Washington went 4–8 in the 12 games without him. On February 3, Songaila made his Wizards debut against the Lakers. On February 18, Eddie Jordan became the first Wizards/Bullets coach to coach in the [[NBA All-Star Game]] since [[Dick Motta]] in 1978–1979. Arenas played in his third straight All-Star game and Butler made his [[All-Star Game]] debut.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-star-recap-2007|title=2007 NBA All-Star recap|work=NBA|date=September 13, 2021|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214102212/https://www.nba.com/news/history-all-star-recap-2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

On March 14, Butler went out with a knee injury that kept him out of the lineup for six games.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2007/03/16/Knee-injury-sidelines-Caron-Butler/40841174081090/|title=Knee injury sidelines Caron Butler|work=United Press International|date=March 16, 2007|access-date=December 14, 2022|agency=United Press International|location=Washington}}</ref> He returned for only three games until he fractured his right hand on April 1 against Milwaukee.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2821580|title=Broken hand could force Butler out of lineup for year|work=ESPN|date=April 2, 2007|access-date=December 14, 2022|agency=The Associated Press|location=Milwaukee|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214102211/https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2821580|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 4, Arenas suffered a season-ending knee injury, of the meniscus. An April 15 article in ''[[The Washington Post]]'' pointed out that with Arenas and Butler gone, the team had lost 42.3% of their offensive production, quite possibly "the most costly" loss for any team in the midst of a playoff hunt in NBA history.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/04/15/GR2007041500137.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | title=A Big Piece of the Pie | access-date=May 27, 2010 | date=April 15, 2007 | archive-date=November 4, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104182655/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/04/15/GR2007041500137.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

Despite their late-season struggles without Arenas and Butler, the Wizards still managed to make the Eastern Conference playoffs, taking the 7th seed at {{Win-loss record|w=41|l=41}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/standings?Season=2006-07|title=NBA 2006-07 Regular Season Standings|work=NBA|access-date=December 14, 2022|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214102207/https://www.nba.com/standings?Season=2006-07|url-status=live}}</ref> They were swept four games to none in a rematch of the previous year's first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite a depleted roster, the Wizards still managed to keep things close in every game in the series and only lost the final three games by a combined 20 points.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/270430027|title=James, Ilgauskas steer Cavs into 2nd round with sweep of Wiz|work=ESPN|agency=The Associated Press|date=May 1, 2007|access-date=December 14, 2007|location=Washington|archive-date=December 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214102207/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/270430027|url-status=dead}}</ref> The team enjoyed their best attendance figures in the post-Jordan era with a season attendance of 753,283 (18,372 per game).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/attendance?year=2007|title=2006–2007 NBA Attendance – National Basketball Association|publisher=ESPN|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-date=January 5, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080105024528/http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/attendance?year=2007|url-status=live}}</ref>