Prior to Friday’s win against the Magic, Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks discussed isolation ball, and the role of Otto Porter in close games.
On Friday, the Washington Wizards pulled a trick out of their hat, to beat the Orlando Magic, 125-119. This matchup marked the start of the second half of the season.
Prior to the game, Wizards head coach Scott Brooks gave an honest assessment on the first half of their season, isolation ball, and the role of Otto Porter, Jr. in close games.
First half of the season
Coach Scott Brooks was asked, by Chris Miller of NBC Sports Washington, ‘now that they have played the first half of the season with 41 games, what did you like and what do you need to work on as you start the second half tonight against the Magic?’
"“Thought we did a lot of good things. We’re having trouble scoring the ball late games. That’s on all of us. Gotta get better at that. Defensively we made some improvement in a lot of different areas—in transition and pick-and-roll coverage. Rebounding is still problematic at times. But it seems like it’s not as bad as it was last year. Offensively, we just have to continue to trust the pass and move the ball. Get the grade shots, and have that as our DNA and not as game-to-game, but it’s who we are. That’s something that we’re trying to build. Sometimes it takes time to develop. We definitely have to get better in that area. Overall, 23 wins at the half point is not like we’re excited about it. But it’s not the end of the world either. We’re not woe is me, we’re having a bad year. We still have a great opportunity ahead of us. We gotta get better in closing out games. I think that can help. Last year, we were really good at it, but this year we haven’t been as well.”"