After claims by the Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal and John Wall that they’re the best team in the East and the Cavs tried to avoid them last year, the dynamic duo failed to back up their statements in a 130-122 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After giving up a 22-point lead against the Phoenix Suns, it seemed that the Washington Wizards were determined to thrash the vulnerable Cleveland Cavaliers—who were coming off four straight losses. In an interview with Rachel Nichols of ESPN, prior to tipoff, Bradley Beal and John Wall were sending out shots from the Cavs not wanting to face them in the playoffs last year to the Wizards being the best team in the East.
All that talk about being the best team ended after the Wizards gave up 74 points in the first half. Even with the Cavs scoring 74 points, the game was still pretty close, with the Wizards only down eight, 74-66.
It seemed that the Wizards were poised for a big run in the second half. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen as Wall, Beal and the Wizards lost in a 130-122 shootout to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Otto Porter Jr.’s lack of assertiveness on the offensive end, Wall’s shooting woes and shoulder injury, and the lack of depth at the point guard position all contributed to the Wizards tough loss.
A Timid Otto Porter
Otto Porter started the game off 4-for-4 from the field and was playing stellar on both sides of the ball. It looked like Porter was in for a huge night, but he ended the game with just 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting and 3-for-7 from the three. With Wall injuring his shoulder towards the end of the third quarter, the Wizards needed all that they could get from their star forward and he didn’t produce.
Whether Porter was intimidated by LeBron James’ onslaught, or if it was lingering effects from his illness, on a nationally broadcasted game, Porter needs to show up and prove that he is worth every penny of his max contract.
Much of the Wizards success relies on Porter’s offensive and defensive capabilities. If he can’t show up in big games like these, it makes many wonder whether the Wizards seriously have the ability to make it past the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
John Wall’s Shooting
John Wall had a mediocre game at best. Shooting just 4-for-13 from the field, 0-for-3 from the three and an abysmal 5-for-12 from the free throw line, Wall was not only bricking every nearly every shot he took, but he couldn’t even keep up with Derrick Rose…not 2011 Derrick Rose…2017 Derrick Rose.
His eagerness to constantly get a chase down block rather than defend the perimeter gave Rose wide open lanes for a plethora of easy shots. In the first quarter alone Rose scored 9 points on 4-for-5 shooting and scored in a variety of ways.
Even though he had 15 assists to only 1 turnover, Wall needs to be much more aggressive in terms of scoring. It’s definitely tough for many Wizards fans, to see that even after eight years of being in the league Wall has yet to develop a consistent jump shot. His inability to shoot makes it much easier for defenses to just pack the paint and force someone else to beat them.
Hopefully, the injury Wall sustained in the 3rd quarter isn’t serious, because regardless of his shooting the Wizards absolutely need his leadership. Also, maybe next time Wall and Beal will let their game do the talking rather than their mouths.
Wizards Depth
Jodie Meeks, Mike Scott, and Kelly Oubre have all been great bench players for the Wizards. Even though there are cases of inconsistencies, they tend to bring as much as they can to the floor every night.
Now, this isn’t a shot at Tim Frazier, nor is this is a claim that Frazier isn’t playing as hard as the other guys mentioned above, but let’s be real, he’s played poorly in his time with the Wizards. Frazier is only averaging 3.0 points per game and 4.6 assists. Last night against the Cavs he went 0-1 with zero points in 6 minutes and was a -1 on the floor.
This isn’t the first game Frazier’s struggled either. His struggles date back to the beginning of the season and have continued to be a concern for the fans and the organization. Hopefully, he can turn things around.
If the Washington Wizards want any chance to compete for a shot at the NBA Finals, they need a backup point guard that can at least sustain Wall’s energy the 10-12 minutes he sits per game.
Below are highlights of the game:
The next opportunity for the Wizards to right the ship comes on Sunday when they travel to Toronto to take on the Raptors.