Washington Wizards 2017 NBA Playoffs Mailbag: How the Wizards Could Continue Dominating the Atlanta Hawks

I wrote about this yesterday, but the Washington Wizards needs to continue playing a physical brand of basketball.

Again – the style of play is a lot different in the playoffs than it is during the regular season. Teams can get away with fouls that would otherwise get called. Some questioned if the Wizards had a roster built for winning in the playoffs; for winning in that environment. If Game-1 is any indication of the team the Wizards are, then they certainly have what it takes to succeed in the postseason.

Markieff Morris really set the tone for the rest of the team. He straight up bullied Paul Millsap, who complained about the Wizards’ physicality after the Hawks lost. I’m sure it didn’t help that Gortat dunked all over Millsap, shoved him and got hit with a technical foul. Getting posterized would hurt anyone’s feelings.

The tougher the Wizards play, the more energized the crowd gets and the more energized the crowd gets, the better the Wizards play. It’s a cycle that happens for successful teams in the playoffs.

Some players in Atlanta *cough Dwight Howard cough* have earned a reputation of being soft. Washington has to capitalize on that and continue disrupting their normally-fluid offense. Once you get under a team’s skin, the game’s practically over.

They might not be underdogs against the Hawks, but they’re underdogs in the postseason. Washington should continue to embrace that role and becoming this year’s pest.