Wiz of Awes
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Washington Wizards’ Bench Struggling Against Atlanta Hawks In 2017 NBA Playoffs

By Sununu Bah

Apr 16, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) is fouled by Washington Wizards forward Jason Smith (14) during the second quarter in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) is fouled by Washington Wizards forward Jason Smith (14) during the second quarter in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Wizards had the second least productive bench in the NBA during the regular season and that’s carried over to the 2017 NBA Playoffs.

While John Wall has become an All-NBA worthy player, the first two games of the Washington Wizards‘ first round series against the Atlanta Hawks have served as a coming out party of sorts for the team’s lone All-Star.

Wall had himself a night to remember with his phenomenal 32-point, 14-assist spectacle, including 15 points in the third quarter alone in Game-1. On Wednesday, in Game- 2, he followed it with another 32-point, 9-assist performance against the fourth most efficient regular season defense.

But when he’s stepped off the court, the team has struggled to keep up, especially in the back court.

In Game-1, Washington’s second unit put forth an uninspiring effort, producing only 15 points – 11 of which came from a single player, Kelly Oubre. Their performance led to the squandering of an 11-point first quarter lead.

Head coach Scott Brooks, who arguably has the most difficult task of all the coaches in the playoffs of managing his starters’ playing time due to the bench’s lack of production, didn’t dare to have both John Wall and Bradley Beal off the court at the same moment for longer than a few minutes.

If the team hopes to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, they are going to need a collective effort from their second unit.

The Burke trade did not pan out

After the acquisition of Brandon Jennings as the primary point guard off the bench, Trey Burke has largely been a MIA. Since the Wizards signed Jennings, Burke has logged 21 DNPs.

In the Wizards’ regular season finale against the Miami Heat, Burke scored a season-high 27

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points, making 10 of the 13 shots he attempted. Despite the performance, he’s not even an option for Brooks at the moment.

Going forward, though, that might change.

Washington has dealt with a few scoring droughts in the playoffs, and if that continues, Burke might eventually get the nod. But for now, he’s riding the pine.

Don’t let Jennings’ name fool you

Jennings, who was brought to Washington to help Wall get a breather by becoming a solid backup point guard, has not quite successfully fulfilled his role.

If you take the time to look at his numbers, you will see that he has largely been a disappointment for the Wizards.

Since joining the team, Jennings has only averaged 3.5 points on 27.4 and 21.2 percent shooting from the field and 3-point line, and 4.7 assists in just over 16 minutes per game.

No one has ever questioned Jennings’ talent. It’s just a matter of how much he wants it and how motivated he is to contribute. Jennings should be taking more than two shots in a playoff game, especially after his coach told him to shoot more.

Jennings did a much better job in Game-2, bouncing back from a donut scoring night to torch the Hawks with 8 straight fourth quarter points when Wall went out in the fourth to finish with 10 points and 4 rebounds.

If Jennings can not get the job done, the Wizards should give Burke another look.

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Searching for the old Bogey

Bojan Bogdanovic exploded on the scene after the Wizards traded for him, scoring 20 per game within his first six games, averaging 13.9 points per game for the entire month of March.

However, Bogdanovic struggled towards the end of the season and it has carried over to the NBA Playoffs.

The fourth-year veteran from Yugoslavia is the Washington Wizards’ best scorer off the bench.

In his first two playoff games since 2015, Bogdanovic has totaled 10 points on 3 of 15 shooting.

There were, at times, critical moments during the season when the starters were struggling and needed a scoring punch.

Bogdanovic single handedly won the Wizards a few games. They need that sort of production from him, especially if they make a deep push.

Ahh the possibilities…

The Washington Wizards can breathe a sigh a relief as their only healthy big man who earns minutes of the bench, Jason Smith, is not dealing with a serious injury.

Smith held down the fort when Morris and Porter were in foul trouble, playing his highest minutes in over a month.

Next: How the Wizards Could Continue Dominating the Hawks

If the rest of the bench can play with Smith’s energy (and they’ve done so in the past), the possibilities for this year’s team are seemingly endless.

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