Washington Wizards Should Shake Up Their Nucleus

Washington Wizards Should Consider Shaking Up Their Nucleus

Here’s an update on a stat I constantly come back to when talking about the Washington Wizards’ season:

– The Washington Wizards have 39 wins and 43 losses in their last 82 regular season games

– The Washington Wizards have 50 wins and 57 losses in their last 107 regular season games dating back to January 2, 2015

I admittedly bought stock in what players on this team have sold when playing down to competition, a lack of focus, or a lack of energy were blamed for losses similar to the one Washington suffered at the hands of a depleted Chicago Bulls team yesterday evening.

I couldn’t comprehend how a team that looked as impressive as the Wizards had in wins over San Antonio, Cleveland, and Dallas could then turn around and look equally if not more unimpressive in losses to New York, Denver, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the depleted Chicago Bulls.

The only thing that made sense to me was said lack of effort and attention, or this team lacking a sense of urgency.

This team is either what their record indicates they are: a below .500 team, or a team that is too mentally weak to maintain a consistent focus and high level of play.

The problem is, whichever of the two boxes the Wizards fit in would be a negative.

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If they’re not a good team, there are larger roster construction issues that have to be addressed this summer while potentially not having their own first round pick.

If their issue is more mental, what can you do?

We’ve seen this pattern of inconsistency play out for multiple seasons now.

Regardless of the answer, the only conclusion I can come to is that this core needs to be shook up. The nucleus of John Wall, Bradley Beal, Marcin Gortat, Nene, Randy Wittman, and Ernie Grunfeld needs to be altered.

Much like the phrase which was used often in explaining the need to trade for Markieff Morris, a “jolt” is needed.

It starts with their best player.

John Wall is an All-star player and has admirably played through injuries this year to keep this team afloat. However, his game-to-game inconsistency throughout his career and defense this year has played a part in the team’s record.

Wall made a lot of valid points in this piece with Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports including not wanting to waste a season and point guards being defined by wins. However, he also talked about wanting more local notoriety, placing himself third in the NBA amongst point guards, and wanting more national television games.

It’s perfectly fine to want more exposure, but don’t ask for that and turn around and allow yourself to be outplayed by E’Twaun Moore on ESPN after going toe to toe with Stephen Curry a few weeks earlier.

Don’t place yourself amongst the top three point guards in the game while Chris Paul is doing what Chris Paul does for the Clippers and Damian Lillard is averaging 25 points and seven assists while leading a surprise Portland team (currently 6^th in the Western Conference).

The mantra of late has been don’t waste John Wall’s prime. He’s had a very good season, but if this is his prime, we’re talking about a player who isn’t an All-NBA performer.

I believe he’s shown he has the talent level to be more than what we’ve seen, but part of the reason this team is inconsistent is because he’s inconsistent. If he wants to play deep in the playoffs, have his face on billboards in D.C., and have the Wizards on national television more often, he needs to own that inconsistency and correct it.

As Wall himself said, “as a point guard, you get known as being a winner in this league, not being a loser.” Right now — and for some time now — the Wizards have been losing.

The balance of that nucleus is in-flux.

Bradley Beal is a restricted free agent this summer and in year four of his career, yet we still don’t have a hint of his ultimate upside or if health will allow him to be a depended on core player in Washington.

Beal also had the audacity to say the following after the loss to Chicago yesterday: “I think we took them for granted. … They didn’t have any of their main guys and that goes to show they were competing and that they were ready to play.”

At three games under .500 and two games behind Chicago in the loss column heading into last night’s game, how could you think that? Wall and Beal were supposed to have learned from Paul Pierce and step up as the Washington Wizards’ leadership and this is what one half of that leadership group is saying.

Randy Wittman seems to have also run out of answers. After every loss you are likely to get the following out of Randy:

“We didn’t play with energy”
“We didn’t play with a sense of urgency”
“We don’t respect the game”
“We don’t know how to play a full 48 minutes of good basketball”

Considering the team is 50 and 57 in their last 107 regular season games, isn’t it fair to question if the message is getting through?

Next, Marcin Gortat and Nene are who they are at this point in their career and can’t be expected to provide much more but as players in their 30s and playing in their 9^th and 14^th seasons respectively, shouldn’t they also be relied on to or expected to lead?

The Washington Wizards have been inconsistent since both have been on the team together when Gortat was traded to Washington on the eve of the 2013-2014 season.

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Are they not leaders or are they leaders whose words fall on deaf ears?

That takes me to Trevor Ariza and Paul Pierce.

When both players left in free agency, their destination seemed to be used as the reasoning behind their departures.

Trevor Ariza was going to Houston, where on paper the Rockets seemed like a potential championship contender and Pierce went home to Los Angeles at a discount.

Isn’t it fair to at least question now whether or not either of those players factored in the Wizards inconsistencies and inability to get it as part of the reason for their departure?

This is what Pierce himself said of John Wall and Brad Beal: “I talk to them a lot about mental preparation and consistency,” Pierce said. “I keep telling Wall and Beal, ‘You’ve got to make up your mind. Do you want to be good, or do you want to be great? Because if you want to be great, you gotta do it every single night, not just when you feel like it.”

Opinions on Ernie Grunfeld are what they are. Rehashing the many reasons why Grunfeld is viewed in a poor light amongst Wizards fans is piling on at this point. Regardless, if a “jolt” is needed anywhere, why not start here?

These are the common denominator: the players, coach, and executive who have been in-place for now nearly three full seasons (longer if Gortat is not included).

Next: An Open Letter to Markieff Morris

After this group’s first playoff appearance in 2014 and hot start to the next season, things seemed on the up and up but somewhere along the way the wheels started falling off the wagon. As things continue as they are — consistently inconsistent — the real jolt the Wizards may need might be to that nucleus.

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