5. The Wizards Signed Earl Boykins!

When I heard this news, it literally prompted me to stand up and yell. It’s that exciting—and yes, the Wizards season has been that depressing so far. For the past few years, I’d been at school up in New England, and haven’t gotten a chance to watch the Wizards on a nightly basis. When I graduated and came back home, I expected great things out of this year’s group, and figured I’d be watching every single game.

Except, the year’s gotten off to a pretty horrid start. I mean, it could definitely be worse, but the team has looked lifeless over the first few weeks, and we’re currently in the midst of a five game losing streak. Does that sound like Must See TV?

But by signing Boykins, the Wizards get a guy who might just be able to buck that trend. Some of the Wizards fans at Bullets Forever wanted someone who’s more of a traditional point guard—like Brevin Knight, for instance—and that’s fine. But the problem with the Wizards so far has nothing to do with talent. The team just looks unhappy out there, everyone has nagging injuries, and on more than once occasion, players have wondered aloud whether the franchise is cursed.

A player like Boykins (or Knight, for that matter) is not going to make a team more or less talented. There’s nobody that could have signed that would have magically lifted this team to another level. But what Boykins CAN do is inject this group (and the fans and the media) with some much-needed energy. His ability to push the pace with the second unit will be invaluable, and more importantly, it’s impossible not to smile when you see some 5’5 on an NBA basketball court. And that’s what this team’s been missing.

Smiles. Fun. Enthusiasm. These things never used to be a problem for the Wizards, but under a new regime and the weight of great expectations, winning games has seemed like a chore for this team. So, naturally, they’re not winning games. Earl Boykins will help change that; just watch.

(And isn’t a lot of fun to say the name “Earl Boykins”? Like… Earl Boykins!!!! Go ahead, try it. Try saying it different ways. I dare you not to enjoy it. Earl Boykins!!! Just awesome.)