Wiz of Awes
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Washington Wizards Three Takeaways: Utah Jazz Dominate Wizards at Home

By Ben Mehic

Feb 26, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) dribbles the ball as Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) chases in the fourth quarter at Verizon Center. The Jazz won 102-92. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) dribbles the ball as Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) chases in the fourth quarter at Verizon Center. The Jazz won 102-92. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Wizards looked to bounce back at home following a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, but were dominated by the Utah Jazz.

Coming off a disappointing loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, the Washington Wizards returned home on Sunday looking to gain momentum against the Utah Jazz.

After a tied first quarter, the Wizards started the second period off flat and the Jazz slowly took advantage of Washington’s bench.

The Wizards went about four minutes without scoring in the second quarter and it snowballed into a 20-point lead for the Jazz.

Despite a comeback effort late in the game – the Wizards were able to cut the lead to 8 with 2 minutes remaining – the Jazz sealed another victory, 102-92.

The bench is still awful

The subheading is probably too blunt, but it’s entirely accurate.

Trey Burke is a borderline NBA point guard and Tomas Satoransky has yet to prove himself in the rotation. Both players aren’t capable of leading a second unit. There’s a reason why the Jazz, ironically, traded Burke to Washington for virtually nothing.

He checked into the game, giving John Wall a breather, and Washington’s offense became nonexistent.

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It would be unrealistic to ask Burke to control the game like Wall, but backup point guards at least have to be able to run an offense.

Burke isn’t a creator nor a scorer. He’s an undersized, streaky shooting guard. Unfortunately for Burke and the Washington Wizards, undersized shooting guards don’t last long in the NBA because they aren’t productive.

Satoransky is the opposite. He’s a tall, slow, point forward who’s too hesitant to shoot.

Not counting Bojan Bogdanovic, who scored 15 points in 33 minutes, Washington’s bench scored a total of 13 points.

Washington needs to find help in the form of a creator, because they failed to do so before the NBA Trade Deadline.

Gobert overwhelms Wizards with size

Marcin Gortat and Ian Mahinmi were supposed to counter each other. When Gortat struggled to guard lanky, athletic centers, Mahinmi would relieve him. But that hasn’t been the case.

Both players were abused by Rudy Gobert‘s length. Gobert scored 15 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. He made 11 of his 14 free throw attempts. Washington, as a team, got to the line 13 times.

This is going to be a problem going forward. Washington, despite having size, can’t match up against long, athletic big men.

Porter and Keef regress

Otto Porter and Markieff Morris were super reliable from the perimeter before the All-Star break, with Porter leading the NBA in 3-point percentage. Now, both players are beginning to return to Earth.

Porter and Morris missed all four of their combined threes, making just 6 of their 20 total shots.

Washington needs more production from their starting forwards if they’re going to remain a top team in the East. Even when they’re struggling to hit shots, the Wizards should be able to count on them for defense. Since the All-Star break, both players have been underwhelming.

Next: Why the Wizards Should Sign Mario Chalmers

Scott Brooks and the Washington Wizards will take on the league’s best, the Golden State Warriors, on Tuesday.

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