Wall sees Wizards making it to Eastern Conference finals

Thanks to a 23-12 record over the past 35 games - and an All-Star nod - John Wall and his teammates are really feeling themselves.

Despite a porous 2-8 start to the season, the Washington Wizards find themselves in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 25-20 record. The calendar change from November to December was a blessing for the team in the US capital, where they went 10-5 and completely altered the path of their season.

The recent hot streak, and strong play against upper-tier contenders in both conferences has Wall and his squad running on a high.

"I see ourselves getting to the Eastern Conference finals," Wall mentioned on TNT's Inside the NBA pregame show. "That’s our goal."

The Wiz are in Atlanta to play the Hawks - who currently sit fourth in the East, 1.5 games ahead of Wall's Wizards - on Friday. With the Cavaliers seemingly a lock for the Eastern Conference finals, that leaves the Raptors, Celtics, and Hawks as the team's main competition. Washington has a 4-3 record against those teams so far this year and will face them in the majority of their remaining games.

After suffering through a 41-41 campaign last year, Wall and his team have regained some of the swagger and confidence they had two years ago when they swept Toronto in the first round of the playoffs. He's even gone as far as to say that he believes that him and his shooting guard, Bradley Beal, are "the best backcourt in the league."

All it took was time and a little self-reflection for the NBA's hottest team.

"We just figured it out," Wall sai. "We all looked ourselves in the mirror and said we all got to do better individually. Our coach held us accountable, and when I lock in on the defensive end, everyone else follows my lead."