Wiz of Awes
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Washington Wizards Still Replacing Paul Pierce, Need John Wall and Bradley Beal To Produce In Clutch

By Osman Baig

May 13, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce (34) knocks down guard John Wall (2) after hitting a three point shot for the lead against the Atlanta Hawks near the end of the game during the second half in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Wizards 82-81. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
May 13, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce (34) knocks down guard John Wall (2) after hitting a three point shot for the lead against the Atlanta Hawks near the end of the game during the second half in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Wizards 82-81. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Wizards still haven’t figured out how to replace Paul Pierce’s production, especially in the clutch

The Washington Wizards went through a roster overhaul this summer.

Nene, Jared Dudley, Ramon Sessions, Garrett Temple, Drew Gooden and Alan Anderson are all gone. The status of J.J. Hickson is pending, but there’s no indication that he’ll return to D.C.

While the departures of the preceding players will be felt to varying degrees, the one departure that the Wizards still have yet to recover from was not one that occurred this summer, but last year: Paul Pierce.

In one season (and more specifically one postseason), Pierce had an impact on this roster that went beyond anything that could realistically have been expected of him after the Washington Wizards signed him in the summer of ’14 using the mid-level exception.

On the eve to the playoffs as the Wizards were preparing to face the Toronto Raptors, a team that had swept the regular season series with Washington, it was Pierce who took the focus off of his teammates and directed the ire of #WeTheNorth and the Raptors’ players in his direction.

In case that wasn’t a substantial contribution in its own right, Pierce doubled down by becoming the face of the first two playoffs rounds, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot, culminating with the “I called game” game-winner versus Atlanta in Game-3.

Washington has yet to successfully replace the contributions Pierce brought to the locker room and court.

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Veteran leadership and shot making ability have been missing.

John Wall and Bradley Beal were not able to fill that gap as they battled injuries themselves and the roster around them, as well as a team that was impacted by the number of players and coaches with uncertain futures.

Both players’ struggles with their own inefficiencies also limited their ability to assume the closer role that Pierce took on so well.

Expecting the backcourt to entirely fill the void left by Pierce was likely unfair and some of that burden was presumably expected to fall on Otto Porter’s shoulders.

Porter had a solid season and shot very well as the season went on, but to expect a first year starter to take on a leadership role is not a fair bar to set either.

On the court, it’s also more accurate to define Porter as a shot taker versus a shot maker, so whereas Washington could look to Pierce to bail them out at the end of the 24 second shot clock by his own merits, Porter is more dependent on others to create opportunities for him.

How can Washington look to regain what they lost with Pierce’s departure, then?

Once Washington missed in their pursuit of a max-level free agent, that burden was passed onto a committee of players who will have to help each other grow into that role.

It starts with the aforementioned Porter.

The hurdle for Porter to clear is he still hasn’t shown a willingness to take on that burden since entering the NBA.

It’s easy to forget that Porter was the Big East Player of the Year prior to joining the Washington Wizards.

Love or hate Porter, players don’t just walk into the Carrier Dome and score 33 of their team’s 57 points in a game with as much meaning as Georgetown’s final Big East visit to Syracuse unless they have some alpha to them.

While his skill set doesn’t fit the traditional go-to scorer model, he is a versatile player that can do a little bit of everything.

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Will he score 20 points per game?

That’s unlikely, but there’s a sizeable gap between the player we saw carry his Hoyas team at the Carrier Dome and the player we saw take just five field goal attempts in the Wizards’ playoff eliminating loss at Detroit late in the season.

Markieff Morris is the second player who must assume some of the burden left by Pierce’s departure.

Keef came to Washington via trade in the midst of a poor season in Phoenix.

While he started slowly in Washington, his play improved as he moved into the starting lineup posting a Per-36 of 18 points and 8 rebounds on 49.6 percent shooting from the field and 35.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

His end of season surge included a 20 point third quarter versus Detroit.

At 26-years-old, you would think Keef is who he is, and while that may be the case, his fluctuating play begs the question: who is he?

Is he the player that was in the running for Sixth Man of the Year in Phoenix in 2013-14 or is he the player who struggled with higher expectations and a larger role after his extension?

Morris has the skill set necessary to have the offense flow through him for several possessions at a time.

He is a willing and able passer, can back defenders down and can knock down the perimeter shot.  He also can, without question, be an enforcing presence on the team.

What he hasn’t done to date, however, is give himself the chance to fulfill that potential.

It starts with eliminating foul trouble and displaying the consistent efficiency necessary to take on that role more often. Morris likely cost himself a handful of 20-point performances simply by getting into foul trouble.

The backcourt has plenty of room to grow, but it starts with one key factor: staying healthy.

Beyond that, the games of Wall and Beal have been dissected ad nauseam, but Washington needs them to replace Pierce in the clutch.

In games that had a five point differential or less in the last five minutes, Beal shot a very respectable 47.1 percent from the field and 42.9% percent from the 3-point line.

That’s the positive.

The negative is, he gets to the free throw line at an anemic pace of 0.6 attempts per game during these clutch moments and shoots a paltry 54.5 percent from the line (not to mention he has to be available to play in more games where this situation may arise).

Wall had his very own struggles in the clutch in the 2015-16 season.

In 33 games, Wall shot 34.6 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from the 3-point line in games that had a five point differential or less in the last five minutes.

Think hard and you can visualize those possessions; possessions where Wall would dribble for 20 seconds and shoot a long mid-range jumper over an opponent he’s typically taller and more athletic than.

For comparison, Pierce shot 42.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from the 3-point line in 37 such situations in his season with the Washington Wizards.

The playoffs are where Pierce made his mark in Washington, shooting a scorching 66.7 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from three in the clutch.

Those numbers are off the charts and the expectation isn’t for Wall or Beal to replicate that.

The expectation has to be that Wall and Beal learn to embrace the moment and develop an approach necessary to improve their efficiency during that critical juncture of the game.

That means Wall must improve his efficiency and shot selection late to avoid wasted possessions that cost Washington all too often.

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That means Beal will have to stay healthy and improve in terms of efficiency, play making, and getting to the free throw line.

That means Porter is going to have to find the player who won the Big East Player of the Year and be willing to have the alpha mentality necessary to join Wall and Beal, versus deferring to blend in among the supporting cast.

That means Morris has to make sound decisions and allow himself the opportunity to stay on the court long enough to make an impact.

Washington has to replace Pierce if they want to become a playoff team again, and win some games along the way.

The flare for the dramatic, charisma, and shot making that Pierce brought to this organization was special.

Next: Wizards Need John Wall To Be More Aggressive

Now it’s time to sit back and watch if that “special” was contagious, and if a committee approach can replace The Truth.

Stats from: NBA.com/stats

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