Washington Wizards Three Takeaways: Wizards Dominate Struggling Atlanta Hawks

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 11: Tim Frazier #8 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks on November 11, 2017 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)

On Saturday, the Washington Wizards win their second straight game in dominating fashion by taking down the Hawks ,113-94.

After getting back on track and defeating the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, the Washington Wizards had their sights on its Southeast division rivals, the Atlanta Hawks. The Wizards locked in defensively and came away with the 113-94 victory to improve to 7-5 on the season.

https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/929534585880408064

Another Good Showing from Markieff Morris

On Thursday against the Lakers, Markieff Morris had a very strong showing, posting 16 points in only 17 minutes played. Against Atlanta, he continued his positive play as he rounds into form after returning from injury.

In the first half, Morris didn’t waste any time and scored the first points with a silky smooth 13-foot jumper. He then continued with some very inspiring offensive play by ending the half with 13 points. He shot 6-for-8 from the floor and 1-for-2 from three in only 13 minutes.

Morris finished with 18 points, shooting 8-for-10 from the floor and 2-of-3 from three, in only 20 minutes of action. For Washington, the positive play from Morris is encouraging, as he appears to be inching closer to being back to himself again.

All-Bench Lineup

In the off-season, the Wizards retooled and acquired what essentially was an entirely new bench unit. While there have been some standout individual performances from players like Tim Frazier, Mike Scott, and Jodie Meeks the unit as a whole has struggled.

More specifically, the Wizards bench unit has struggled when the proverbial all-bench lineup is thrown out onto the floor by Coach Scott Brooks. In this matchup, the all-bench lineup started the second quarter with a 20-19 lead.

The unit of Frazier-Meeks-Kelly Oubre Jr-Scott-Ian Mahinmi only lasted four minutes, scored four points and gave up the lead to Atlanta with 8 minutes remaining in the second quarter. Their uninspiring play continues to pose the question, why go with an all-bench lineup?

Subsequently, that same unit started the fourth and put forth an amazing display of basketball. The Wizards bench started the quarter off on a 23-10 run. They expanded the lead and gave the starters some much-needed rest to close out the game.

While it’s a small sample size against a struggling Hawks team, the all-bench unit showed some life after struggling in the first half.

Defense was Played

All season long, the Wizards have struggled on the defensive end and it’s been no secret to teams around the league. Too often this season Washington has been exploited, because of their lack of defense.

However, the Wizards locked in defensively and dominated from start to finish because of their defensive effort. The Wizards are now 4-0 this season and 47-8 over the past three years when holding opponents under 100 points.

When @JohnWall's in the vicinity, lay-ups just aren't a good idea. ✋

(And Keef's cookin')#WizHawks https://t.co/uRf48KcFzY
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 12, 2017

Washington held Atlanta to 41 percent shooting from the field. They also had 14 steals and forced 24 turnovers.

Although it wasn’t perfect, the effort the Wizards put forth for a full 48 minutes cannot go unnoticed. It’s clear when this team gets into a defensive mindset, the game comes so much easier for every player out on the court.

On Monday, the Wizards complete their homestand against the Sacramento Kings.