Wiz of Awes
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Washington Wizards’ Defense Plummeting Before NBA Playoffs

By Ben Mehic

Dec 26, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) and Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) attempt to steal the ball from Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the fourth quarter at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 107-102. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 26, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) and Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) attempt to steal the ball from Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the fourth quarter at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 107-102. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Wizards are experiencing their worst defensive stretch of the 2017 season right before the NBA Playoffs begin.

NBA teams that excel on the defensive end of the floor play the same way against every opponent, no matter if it’s a lottery-bound or contending team.

Successful defensive teams recognize that repetition builds habit. After countless practices, film sessions and in-game play, defense becomes second nature.

Scott Brooks, a defensive-minded coach, was partially signed by the Washington Wizards to reinstall focus on that side of the floor. Washington had slipped defensively under Randy Wittman last season and Brooks was tasked with regaining the team’s identity.

At the beginning of the season, when the team was 2-8 and sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, it seemed like switching the voice in the locker room wasn’t enough for Washington.

The team struggled defensively and couldn’t string together wins, despite revamping their roster.

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But repetition – going over the same plays in practice and rewatching them during film sessions – eventually worked.

Without a true “lockdown” defender on their roster, the Washington Wizards relied on team-based defense.

Washington had the luxury of flying around on the perimeter, causing havoc on defense.

John Wall and Bradley Beal, capable of defending both guard positions, have the ability of switching defenders and not losing a beat.

Otto Porter‘s length gives Washington another dimension defensively, as he’s often the player starting fast break off steals.

Markieff Morris‘ physicality coupled with Marcin Gortat‘s sneaky rim protection gave Brooks a more gritty combination inside.

The team-based play – both relying on each other defensively and moving the ball unselfishly – catapulted the Wizards up the standings, sitting as high as second in the East.

Lately, as the team’s given up over 120 points per game on their most recent five-game road trip, the team’s defense has deteriorated.

Washington has stopped “flying around” on the perimeter, often leaving offensive players wide open, essentially just hoping for a miss.

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The guards, including Wall and Beal, aren’t stopping penetration, putting even more pressure on the big men to get stops inside.

The lack of energy on the defensive side of the floor has been evident in the team’s reaction and focus.

The Wizards allowed a depleted Dallas Mavericks team to score 112 points at home on Wednesday night, marking their second straight loss to teams outside of the playoff picture.

“The defensive intensity wasn’t where it needed to be,” said Brooks following Wednesday’s loss.

“We have to figure it out. It’s not time to panic. It’s time to stay together and figure it out. We need to play better defense – we’ve talked about it for a few games now but now it’s here. We have to step up and hold each other accountable and do a better job of guarding our man.”

Washington’s played with an almost absurd amount of confidence, basically expecting “bad” teams to roll over against them, when in reality, there’s no such thing as an untalented team in the NBA.

The Wizards have displayed lazy defense – relying on the bigs for too much help, switching when unnecessary and not recovering fast enough to contest shots. It’s resulted in their most disappointing defensive stretch of the season and it’s happening right before the NBA Playoffs.

Next: Why the Wizards Could Get To the NBA Finals

Instead of building on their historic turnaround and making a final push for the second seed, the Washington Wizards have reverted back to their old ways. For them to seriously contend, they have to figure it out – and they have to figure it out soon.

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