Wizards down and out

The Washington Wizards’ season of misery came to an end last night — as so many games have — with the Wizards on the wrong end of a 94-78 loss to the playoff-bound New Orleans Hornets.

The loss ends the agony of a 25-57 season, the Wizards’ seventh consecutive losing campaign.

“It gets tough when you have to come in every day and work hard,” said Larry Hughes. “You go out and you play against guys that you know you have a chance to beat, and you get frustrated. It wasn’t all injuries. A lot of it had to do with the guys who were out there on the court as far as learning how to win games. I think we have a better understanding of that now that the season is over.”

By all accounts, lingering injuries to key players was at the heart of the Wizards’ inability to put together any consistency.

“[Injuries] prevent you from developing rhythm and momentum with each other,” coach Eddie Jordan said. “You try not to use them as an excuse. [Playing] allows players to grow and get experience on the floor. Maybe Jarvis [Hayes] wouldn’t have played as much if [Jerry] Stackhouse were healthy. Stackhouse will get healthy, and if we have the same parts, then Jarvis will have the experience. There is hope for next year. You have to look for the silver lining.”

As in so many other games this season — especially those after the All-Star break, when the Wizards won just nine games — last night’s contest was irrelevant for the Wizards but had meaning for their opponents. The Hornets were trying to solidify their playoff standing in the Eastern Conference, and they essentially accomplished that in the first half.

Washington started the game by making seven of nine shots from the floor and taking an 18-13 lead in the first quarter. But as has been the case so often, it was downhill from there.

After the good start, the Wizards made eight of 29 shots from the floor, trailed by as many as 20 points and went into the locker room down by 18.

For the second game in a row, point guard Gilbert Arenas came off the bench — this time because he arrived at the team’s morning shootaround about the time it ended. Arenas, who scored a season-low two points, came off the bench Monday against Detroit as punishment for missing the team plane on Easter Sunday.

Etan Thomas led the Wizards with 16 points. Jared Jeffries finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Hayes had 15 points.

Baron Davis led the Hornets, who guaranteed they would finish at least no lower than sixth in the Eastern Conference, with 26 points. Jamaal Magloire added 23 points and 14 rebounds.

Of course, last night’s final score really had no bearing on the Wizards’ 15th losing campaign in 17 years.

“It was really hard to judge our team, but I really don’t think we’re that bad,” Arenas said. “We have every option that a team needs, we just have to play together.”

With the draft lottery next month (May 26), this is the only time of year when being bad is of some benefit to the Wizards.

With the third worst record in the league, the Wizards will have a 15.7 percent chance of selecting the top player in the weighted lottery unless they make a trade. Orlando, owner of the worst record in the league, has the best chance (25 percent).

The final tally on the season is ugly. The Wizards led the league in turnovers, finished with the NBA’s worst road record (8-33) and went 3-21 in the lowly Atlantic Division, notching two of those wins in the last week of the season.

Will the Wizards be able to have a better showing next season? Arenas thinks so.

“If we’re not hurt, yes,” he said. “If we’re healthy, we’re up there with anybody. Give us at least 15 games together, and we would have been in the playoffs [this season].”