Washington Wizards: Washington Wizards Need a Timeout for Defense

After giving up a late lead two games in a row last week, it’s time for the Washington Wizards to take a timeout.

Although the Washington Wizards should reach the playoffs again this year, that is not an absolute. The Wizards are playing right now as if it is, and that the regular season doesn’t matter. According to some, they’re the best team in the East, and the regular season is just a technicality.

But as former Patriots’ Coach Bill Parcells once said, “you are what your record says you are”. And right now, the Wizards have a terrible record of losing games that they should’ve won.

The Wizards’ defense collapsed, when they were up 9 points with 3 minutes left in regulation against the Hornets, and then again for their next game against Portland, when they were up 17 points, with a little over 8 minutes left. It’s time for the Wizards to take a timeout.

It appeared after Washington beat the Hawks two weeks ago, that they had finally figured it out the defensive end. But, John Wall predicted the Wizards’ inability to close out games. After that game, Wall said, ‘we did this before last season. Where for five or six games we play great defense, and then the problems start up again’.

Against the Trail Blazers, interior defense was virtually nonexistent, while the opponents waltzed in for easy layups. In addition, there are too many games, where Ian Mahinmi is receiving more fouls than points.

This may be a hard pill to swallow, but the Wizards aren’t as good as they believe. They could be better, and should be better, but for some odd reason they choose not to.

It’s as if once Washington sees that they have a comfortable lead, they only play offense, while throwing away defense.

The Wizards forget that there’s another end to the court. Once the game turns into a half court game, the Wizards have already lost.

When the Wizards stop playing defense down the stretch, they just created a defensive hole for their opponents. A hole in which the opposing team takes complete advantage–knocking down easy buckets. Why not? The Wizards just gave them a free invitation.

Playing in fear leads to mental mistakes

There’s a difference between playing aggressive and playing with fear. The Wizards are aggressive for the first three-quarters, and that includes a good defensive game. But because they have a lead in the fourth quarter, there’s no need to continue with any type of defense.

When a sizable lead begins to evaporate, the Wizards are in a state of shock and begin playing in panic mode. After Washington loses its composure, mental mistakes are made–silly fouls, technicals, missed shots, and costly turnovers.

Washington has a sizable lead because they played a good game, not because they’re better than their opponent.

By taking your opponent for granted in the fourth quarter, thinking the team’s inferior, the opponent seizes upon this false assumption.

When the Wizards have lulled themselves into complacency, other teams pounce–causing the Wizards to wake up. They then begin playing in fear of losing the game.

The games that the Wizards should’ve won look like this–they’re aggressive, on both ends of the court, and have the lead in the fourth quarter. Then, for whatever reason, they start playing like it’s garbage minutes.

During those “garbage minutes”, the other team turns into the Harlem Globetrotters making circus shots and threes. Once the Wizards let their guard down–literally and figuratively–shots go up.

If the starters on both teams are still on the floor in the final minutes, it’s not a blowout. Anything can happen, and everything has for the Wizards. The game isn’t over until the final buzzer. Therefore, aggressive defense should be played until the very end.

Also, during crunch time, it should be either Wall or Bradley Beal taking that fateful shot. However, Otto Porter, Jr. has proven himself to be locked in, from start to finish, and when he has a hot hand, maybe the ball should be in his hand.