Wiz of Awes
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Washington Wizards Three Takeaways: Wizards Fall To Fourth Place After Loss In Utah

By Ben Mehic

Mar 31, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) dribbles the ball as Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) defends during the second half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 95-88. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) dribbles the ball as Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. (22) defends during the second half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 95-88. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Wizards fell to fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings after their close loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

Out of the 30 NBA teams, the Utah Jazz are arguably the most obscure in the entire league.

Without much love from nationally recognized publications or broadcasts, the Jazz have continued to fly under the radar. But that hasn’t stopped them from becoming a dominant team in the Western Conference – widely known as the deepest conference in all of North American sports.

Utah, ironically, has compiled a roster of depth – and talent.

Gordon Hayward is the only player in the NBA to have increased his point averages every season he’s been in the league, blossoming into a first time All-Star this year. Rudy Gobert, the longest person to ever grace the earth, should be closing in on Defensive Player of the Year, too.

They’re the backbone of the team, but Quin Snyder has others to work with, like Rodney Hood, Boris Diaw, George Hill, Joe Johnson, Joe Ingles and Alec Burks, who’s capable of starting for most teams but isn’t even in Utah’s rotation.

Their depth coupled with their defense (and some bad whistles, as John Wall made sure to note after the game) was too much for the Washington Wizards on Friday, 95-88.

Another breakout performance for Oubre

Otto Porter had the task of defending Hayward early, but picked up two quick fouls, forcing Scott Brooks to rely on his bench quicker than usual.

Instead of calling Bojan Bogdanovic‘s name, Brooks replaced Porter with Kelly Oubre, who’s beginning to find his niche on the roster.

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Immediately after checking in, Oubre stole the ball away and scored off a fastbreak.

He seemed to get under Hayward’s skin, consistently chatting with Utah’s forward as they jogged up the court.

His energy single handedly sparked a run for the Washington Wizards, who were down 8 points early.

Oubre finished the game with 10 points and 4 rebounds on 5 of 7 shooting off the bench.

With just a few weeks remaining before the start of the playoffs, Oubre has sneaked into Brooks rotation and has done enough to solidify his spot, it seems.

Former Wizard burns his old team

Shelvin Mack scored a career-high 27 points against the Washington Wizards the last time they met in Utah. If you can recall, Mack was picked in the second round by Washington in the 2011 NBA Draft with the hopes of him becoming Wall’s permanent backup.

But the Wizards decided to let him go and, as you’d expect, he’s developed elsewhere.

Brandon Jennings, for all he’s added to the Wizards, isn’t a reliable defender. Mack scored on Jennings at will, adding 15 points off the bench for the Jazz.

When the Wizards cut the Jazz’s lead to 2 in the final few minutes, Mack drove inside and finished a floater. It’s almost as if he plays with an extra gear when he faces the Wizards.

Jennings’ defense, more importantly, can be a problem in the postseason. Brooks will have to find a way to hide him since Washington has no other option but to play him.

Late-game execution was a problem

Brooks caught flak for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s poor offensive execution in fourth quarters when he coached the team and similar problems have arisen with the Washington Wizards.

To his credit, Brooks has gotten the most out of Washington offensively. They’ve been a top five field goal and 3-point shooting team this season. But the creativity in the fourth quarter is lacking.

Washington had the chance to steal a win in Utah, but couldn’t execute when it mattered most. Beal isolated and bailed the team out a few times, but lost the ball on the most crucial possession.

Wall and Beal are talented enough to score in isolation situations, but that can only take a team so far, especially in the clutch.

Next: Lifelong Wizards Fan Reflects On 2017 NBA Season

Games are going to be close in the playoffs. By then, the Washington Wizards should have a better grasp of what to do in closing situations. Throwing the ball to Wall and Beal, and asking them to get it done just isn’t the answer.

With Friday’s loss, the Wizards have slipped to the fourth spot in the East. Toronto owns the tiebreaker, automatically putting them above Washington. The Wizards’ road trip will continue on Sunday against the Golden State Warriors.

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