(My Sportsbook) - The Washington Wizards flirted with a postseason berth last season until Michael Jordan's knee showed its age. Jordan's knee took longer to heal than he would have liked, but he nevertheless decided to return to action this season. He will be playing the shooting guard position as opposed to the small forward, in an effort to cut down on the nightly pounding his body takes.

Doug Collins will have a wealth of scoring options this season with his team's new look. The Wizards acquired Jerry Stackhouse via trade and signed Larry Hughes and Bryon Russell.

Washington acquired Stackhouse along with forward Brian Cardinal and center Ratko Varda in exchange for guards Richard Hamilton and Hubert Davis and forward Bobby Simmons.

"When you have the opportunity to add an All-Star player of Jerry's caliber, you cannot hesitate on the chance to strengthen the team," said Wizards general manager Wes Unseld. "We had to part with several players we were very high on, but we feel we have improved and this is the right fit at this stage of the development of our team."

Stackhouse, who had spent the last five seasons with Detroit, helped lead the Pistons to the Central Division title last season, appearing in 76 games and averaging 21.4 points, a career-high 5.3 assists and 1.01 steals per contest. Over his seven-year career, the North Carolina product has averaged 21.2 points, 4.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 512 games -- 436 starts.

Hughes, who started his career with Philadelphia in 1998-99, played the past 2 1/2 years with the Warriors. He turned pro after one season at Saint Louis University. The four-year veteran has competed at both guard positions, but will likely see more playing time at point guard with the Wizards.

"We are confident that Larry Hughes will make a significant contribution to our team," said Unseld. "He adds versatility to our roster with his ability to play both of the guard positions and his athleticism will help us on both ends of the floor."

Hughes has averaged 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists during his career. Last season, he averaged 12.3 points and 4.3 assists in 73 games with Golden State.

Russell, who played the first nine seasons of his NBA career with the Utah Jazz, owns career averages of 9.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 628 regular season games. The 31-year-old forward was a starter on Utah's two Western Conference championship teams in 1997 and 1998. He has played in 96 career playoff games.

"Bryon not only fills our need for an athletic small forward, but he also provides us with veteran experience that includes nine trips to the playoffs and two NBA Finals," said Unseld. "In addition to helping us win games, we are also confident that he will help in the development of our younger players."

Washington undeniably added athleticism to its roster, but it also needed some veteran grit at a bargain price. Enter Charles Oakley, who was plucked off the free agent market after a falling out with the Bulls.

"Charles Oakley gives us a tough veteran presence in the front court," Unseld said. "He also brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will help our young big men."

Oakley, 38, will be entering his 18th season in the NBA. He has taken the court for the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors. Over his career, Oakley has averaged 10.0 points and 9.8 rebounds in 1,233 games.

FRONTCOURT

The Wizards will have to wait for Jahidi White, who is nursing a knee injury and likely won't be much of a factor until after the All-Star break. White always has weight issues, and that's bad news if you're trying to rehab a knee. Washington will have to rely heavily on Brendan Haywood. The former Tar Heel should benefit greatly from the presence of Washington's new assistant coach, Patrick Ewing. Haywood is an OK rebounder and a great shot-blocker. The Wizards don't need much offense from Haywood, they just need him to grab some rebounds and erase defensive mistakes by blocking shots.

This is a critical season for Kwame Brown. After his high draft selection, Brown must show improvement in his second season to avoid the bust moniker. Once again, the Wizards don't need scoring from Brown. They just need him to rebound and contribute on the defensive end.

Russell gives the Wizards a veteran locker room leader and a three-point marksman. His professionalism will be a good model for some of the young Wizards to follow, and his postseason experience will also serve the team well.

GUARDS

Hughes was never really able to grasp the nuances of the point guard position in Philadelphia, but the Wizards are banking on the fact that he's learned them in Golden State. He's definitely an athlete that can jump right out of the gym. The question is whether or not he'll be unselfish enough to dish the ball to Jordan and Stackhouse. Odds are he will be, especially when the greatest player of all time puts his hand up. It's a safe bet that Hughes had posters of Jordan in his bedroom growing up, so that kind of respect will help.

Stackhouse is probably on the verge of an outstanding season. His dribble-drive game will get him to the line where he can convert for huge points. In addition, his trips to the line will put opposing teams at or near the penalty when Jordan comes off the bench. This will help Jordan's point total - especially since he gets every single whistle blown in his favor as it is. In addition to all these other factors, perhaps the most significant reason to believe Stackhouse will have a big year is financial - he's in the walk year of his contract.

BENCH

Writing about Jordan as a bench player seems to border on sacrilege, but he's going to benefit from this role. Stackhouse and Jordan, as a pair, give the Wizards the best shooting guard rotation in the NBA. Collins can get creative with his talent over the course of the season depending on how Jordan's knee holds up. There are times he could use Jordan at the point with Stackhouse at the two and Hughes at small forward - especially against smaller teams. This lineup could produce points in a hurry.

Rounding out the point guard rotation are Tyronn Lue and Juan Dixon. Lue sort of made a name for himself on the Lakers, when he was assigned the task of covering Philadelphia's Allen Iverson in the Finals. Dixon is a local favorite from his collegiate days with Maryland. The Wizards are hoping his skills can make the jump to the next level quickly enough for him to contribute off the bench.

In the frontcourt, the Wizards will have former-Maverick Etan Thomas as their reserve pivot. Thomas is a little short for a pivot (6-9), but he's a wide body and has been a tenacious rebounder in his limited minutes. In the East, he's fine as a backup center and strong as a power forward.

Jared Jeffries will have an opportunity to learn from Bryon Russell at the small forward position. Jeffries is a terrific athlete with a ton of potential. He'll need to gain strength to compete in the NBA, and the Wizards have kept in the weight room most of the summer.

OUTLOOK

The East is wide-open, which will benefit the Wizards. If Jordan stays healthy, this could easily be a playoff team. If Jordan's knee acts up, Washington will still be right on the playoff bubble, but likely on the outside looking in.