If there is no solution to the small block size and slow transaction, the price will be below $1500 for some time.
Both Latreetim and you are correct in your concerns. According to Latreetim, we need to gets things resolved and yours is true too that speculators may take it to even higher levels. But this is currently a more stable market than volatile, and to see such volatility back, we need those problems solved completely, so that even investors, with speculators will come ahead to take prices to a whole new level. But still, 1500 is a long way to go yet as even "pumping" $250 takes a few millions to make it happen.