Washington Wizards Dream Big, But Fall Short of Expectations
By Joye Pruitt
The Washington Wizards came into the season with high expectations, but have they fallen short?
How have the Washington Wizards defaulted back to this position? Like a broken record, the hyperbole swirled around the team’s playoff chances in the offseason. John Wall and Bradley Beal would return with heightened skill, chemistry and efficiency in the Wizards’ backcourt.
Nothing much was done to buff up team depth, but somehow Washington would withstand the pressure and emerge. Blossom, really, into what was anticipated of both guards. Just as in previous seasons, the Washington Wizards, have fallen short of expectations.
Whatever Washington is lacking has little to do with Wall’s injury and subsequent absence. Before he was benched, the Wizards were barely above .500 with a record of 26-22 and playing inconsistently solid basketball. Neither Beal nor Wall had settled into their leadership roles with each player’s conflicting styles and lack of cohesion coming under fire – again.
There were more rumors swirling that the two could not coexist and that the team appeared to have a sinking faith in Wall. JJ Barea assisted in fanning the flames, but the results are the just as they have been. Wall’s return is approaching. Still, coach Scott Brooks’ call to action regarding his team’s readiness for the NBA Playoffs contributes to the idea that the Wizards have arrived back at a place of uncertainty. That is never a prime position to ride into the postseason. After a top-to-bottom trouncing by the San Antonio Spurs, it is time for Washington to pop the question.
Is this ever going to work?
The team should thrive on the surface, in theory. Kelly Oubre Jr. has become a rising star off the bench. The 22-year old small forward has progressed each year he has been in the league. He’s an athletic defender whose pesky when he makes the effort. Not to mention his burgeoning three-point shot. It can be argued that Otto Porter was truly more efficient last season than the present as he shot at a lower clip (10.0 attempts per) and at a higher percentage (51.6).
Tomas Satoransky is long at his position and often mismatches against smaller guards defensively. He keeps the ball moving and spaces the floor leaving points on the table for his teammates to collect. Markieff Morris’s versatility and ability to rebound while spacing the floor makes him solid in various offensive sets. Adding Beal and Wall to the fray provides contrasting skills, but equally volatile offense inside and out. Then who?
See, the problem is not if the Washington Wizards have the talent. There is talent on the floor. It is just not enough. Against San Antonio, when the shots stopped falling for the usual suspects, there were no other options.
And defensively? LaMarcus Aldridge ended the game with 27 points on around 52 percent shooting. He was a one-man wrecking crew for a large part of the game and the Wizards could not adjust for either Ian Mahinmi or Marcin Gortat to alter his rhythm.
The three-ball allows the impossible, but the Washington Wizards cannot hit beyond the arc enough to rely on a three-pointer as their saving grace. With few fingers, the “all hands on” approach weighs far heavier on those that can produce than those who cannot at a consistent rate. The better players are feeling the weight and the role players are doing their best. Tension grows when the fatigue begins to set in and the results still are not there. This is Washington’s Achilles.
Until coach Scott Brooks can rely on more than his core to keep opponents at bay, the Wizards will continue to appear unprepared for the postseason. Because that’s all that matters at the last hour. The Washington Wizards are not playing games to be good enough to grab a seed in the playoffs. They’re hungry for contention. They’re aching for the day that all the preseason folklore becomes biographical.
With the current roster, they will be playing the waiting game for a while longer.