Washington Wizards Roundtable Reactions: John Wall’s Injury

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Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

3) Who is the X-Factor from here on out?

Nithin: The cop out answer here is Beal.  Unfortunately he’s the only answer as well. 

Washington has no chance if Beal doesn’t immediately transform from a high-volume low-efficiency player to the exact opposite.  We know he can do it, as he’s shown on many occasions.  We also know he’s not quite ready to be the lead guard on an offense. 

But for the Wizards have a real shot at extending this series, Beal has to take smart shots, find open teammates, and continue to harass Kyle Korver.

Matt: Bradley Beal.

He’s gonna have to be the go-to scorer, a secondary (and sometimes primary) ball-handler, and a facilitator, all while chasing Kyle Korver around on defense. It’ll be harder for him to find clean looks without Wall, so he’ll have to be more aggressive and create his own shots.

He’ll also need to be aware of the looks he can generate when the Hawks’ defense swarms him, and start making the smart pass rather than driving into the teeth of a crowded defense. Basically, he needs to be the go-to guy fans are hoping he can be.

Honorable mention to Otto Porter; at this point, he might be the Wizards’ best two-way player. This is a chance for him to cement himself as the small forward of the future.

David: It’s Nene.

In Game 2, we saw a distinct return to the midrange-heavy Wizards offense that they employed pretty much throughout the entire regular season. Not a welcome development, but we saw during the season that the Wizards could get by if Nene was playing his best.

When he’s rolling, Nene is the key to the whole operation – but he’s been horrendous so far in this series, full stop. That’s one of the most important things for the Wizards right now. That situation needs to be figured out.

Either Nene gets it together right now, or he has to sit. The idea that Kris Humphries has gotten zero meaningful playoff minutes is just baffling to me.

Oz: Logic would tell you the answer is Ramon Sessions but the x-factor is Nene.  I previously said the Wizards shouldn’t expect him to turn it around but that doesn’t mean he can’t.

Nene still is a talented player and can be a problem for opponents when he’s engaged, active, and decisive.

Sessions is who he is. While he does have to focus more on passing than he did in game 2, it’s difficult to expect much more from the backup point guard. Nene is a $13 MM per year power forward who dominated a matchup with the DOPY in Round 1 just last season.  He doesn’t have to be that, but he has to be better than what we’re seeing now.

Next: 2) What Can The Wizards Learn From This?