Now what? - The Wizards of Washington | Basketball initiates
Now what? – The Wizards of Washington | Basketball initiates
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After losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the first round of the playoffs, the Washington Wizards must get creative to evolve into a more balanced and better-equipped team to compete in the playoffs.
Washington’s offensive attack is powerful. Led by Bradley Beal, who placed second in points per game, producing 31.3 per game, the Wizards generated 116.6 per game, the third most in the league.
That’s because Washington leads the NBA in pace, averaging 104.67 possessions per game. Then there’s the nature of those possessions, which often saw Beal or Russell Westbrook score in the paint, where the Wizards made 52.8 points per game, which was the fifth-biggest in the league. These practices also often lead to free throws. Washington managed 26.2 free throws per game, converting 20.1 of them, both topping the NBA.
But as deadly as the Wizards’ offense is this season, going forward they should become a unit that does more damage beyond the arc. They average 29 three-point attempts per game, slightly better than the league low thrown by the San Antonio Spurs (28.4). So it’s no surprise that they placed 28th out of three made per game (10.2), a few ticks better than the 9.9 produced by Spurs, who again found themselves at the bottom of the a long-term category.
Due to Washington’s struggles at three points, they placed 20th for actual shoot percentage (53.1%) and 18th for actual shoot percentage (56.9%). This is where the Wizards felt the impact of Thomas Bryant’s absence. He’s not a high-volume shooter, but in 2019-20, he took two threes per game and knocked down 40.7%. In the 10 games he played this season before tearing the ACL, he made 42.9 of his 2.1 long-distance attempts. Bryant will be nine months away from his injury at the start of training camp, so he may not be ready for the start of the 2021-22 campaign.
Either way, Robin Lopez and Alex Len are free agents this offseason, which means Washington has to re-sign at least one or acquire another center. However, unlike the Wizards’ quest for help on the wings, adding a cross that spaces the ground like Bryant is not a prerequisite.
One way for Washington to overcome its long-term scoring lack is to force and capitalize on turnovers. The Wizards rank 10th in opponent turnovers per game (14.7), which led to an average of 18 points per game, the eighth-highest in the league.
One area they couldn’t make up for this season was their defensive shortcomings. Washington allowed the most points per game (118.5) and opponents averaged 43.1 field goals per game, placing the Wizards 28th in that category. They ranked 20th in defense, with 112.3 points per 100 possessions. As a result, they had a net score of -1.6, which was 22nd in the league.
Despite the Wizards’ ability to generate turnovers, it failed to mask the reality that they offer little resistance defensively. The opponents produced 13.7 second chance points per game against them, the seventh most points in the league. The Wizards placed 18th in points allowed in the paint, giving up 48.2 per game. And their efforts to create turnovers tended to cause them to rack up fouls and send their opposition to the free throw line. The teams took 25.4 shots on goal per game against Washington, which was one notch below the league’s average against the Golden State Warriors (25.4).
Speaking of turnovers, the Wizards have spit the ball an average of 14.4 times per game, which placed 20th and saw opponents score 17.6 points on those errors, the fourth most in the NBA this time. season.
These defensive struggles and the Wizards’ imbalance are the reason they can’t just turn back the clock next season, relying on internal improvements to turn them into a more formidable opponent in the playoffs than one who recently bounced back after. five games in the first round.
“This is not a returning team,” admitted Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard at the end of their season. “We have to improve. So to do this you need to perform it better. You have to build. You have to improve yourself. And we’re going to do everything we can, look at all the options we can to make that happen. “
However, it will not be easy. Washington will enter free agency above the cap. The Wizards will have mid-level and semi-annual exceptions to help them strengthen their roster. The former could be the key to them adding a solid perimeter defender, ideally one that fits the description of a three-and-D wing. The last of those exceptions could be the way Washington acquires a center to pair with Bryant and Daniel Gafford.
As for the draft, the Wizards have the 15th pick in the first round, which isn’t ideal, but that’s the price to pay to qualify for the playoffs. Still, in the 2015 draft, they acquired Kelly Oubre Jr., who was the 15th selection that year. Going for the best player available is a strategy that should never be reversed, but with Washington prioritizing the present, gravitating towards an NBA-ready wing or at least the prospect they see as the best staying in that position. ‘would align with what prevails.
The Wizards must also decide to bring back head coach Scott Brooks, who is no longer under contract. During Sheppard’s exit interview, he said that Brooks “has done a hell of a job keeping this team together through some of the most difficult and possibly darkest times in franchise history.” In January, the Wizards faced a COVID-19 outbreak that put their season on hold for two weeks.
Westbrook has strongly expressed support for Brooks’ return, which isn’t surprising, considering how well the two get along, going back to their time with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Me personally, I don’t see why Scottie should go anywhere. And not just because we’re close, but he’s done a hell of a job with our team, our program since I’ve been here. … “He’s still the same Brooks coach, and he brings intensity. He brings the effort as if he were playing, but he is a coach. It is something that you cannot teach. It is something that you cannot have. So if it was up to me, I don’t think it should go anywhere.
Finally, there’s the threat Beal is asking for this summer; don’t confuse this with a prediction, but he has one year left on his contract plus a player option worth $ 37.3 million for the 2022-2023 season. As loyal as it is and as enjoyable as it has been to the Wizards, they were easily knocked out by the Sixers in the first round of the playoffs, and their path to improvement is difficult, especially when s It’s all about qualifying for the title. contention. Maybe three-time All-Star Beal decides it’s in his best interests to join a team better suited to compete for the Larry O’Brien Trophy next season, especially after adding him to his roster. Making that move now would also allow Washington to get a set of players and choices in exchange for obliging his request, rather than risk losing him for nothing the next offseason.
Beal loves where he is and his first choice is to win with the Wizards. But as Shepard put it, “This is not a throwback team; They must improve the roster to help convince Beal that he doesn’t need to take his talents elsewhere.