The Washington Wizards are fending off old demons in the series against No.1 seeded Toronto Raptors.
The Washington Wizards are fending off old demons in the series against No.1 seeded Toronto Raptors. These errors are not well-masked either.
Until the fourth quarter, the Wizards were keeping up with Toronto. They captured a few small leads and had a solid chance to steal Game 1 in Air Canada. But, it was the Raptors’ bench that ultimately put the nail in Washington’s coffin Saturday evening. There are two things the Wizards need to do in Game 2 to ensure that this series remains interesting. If not, this could be over quickly.
Engage perimeter defense. No one could have predicted that Delon Wright would step in and show out. He had 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. But, everyone in the league knows Serge Ibaka can shoot, and he hit 3-of-4 of his three-pointers. Collectively the Raptors shot 16-of-30 in three-point field goals, burying the short-staffed Wizards.
Washington is not as efficient a three-ball shooting squad as Toronto, so to even it out the Wizards will have to close out on the shooters and make Raptors’ players put the ball on the floor. Defend the three and allow the two. The biggest mistake the Wizards could make going into the second game of this series is assuming that Toronto’s shots will not fall as they did.
Trust each other. The Wizards were keyed in on assuring that Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan struggled offensively. That worked well enough, until the trust that the Raptors have developed exposed itself. DeRozan and Lowry are often accused of their lack of presence under pressure. Yet, they should also be recognized for how much trust they put in their teammates to handle business when the all stars are playing a bit tight.
Toronto’s supporting cast plays the game with such ease and availability. On the other end of the floor, Washington struggles to play with the same chemistry. There was one play, specifically, where John Wall drove the ball deep and kicked it out to where Kelly Oubre, Jr should have been. The play could have resulted in a wide open three instead of a turnover, but the young forward was chasing the ball instead of trusting his point guard. Things like that happen often to the Wizards. Their lack of trust in each other and the system is evident, especially in games determined by one or two possessions.
But, these are common sense adjustments. Changes far easier said then done. The Washington Wizards have been battling these flaws throughout the season and appear to be drifting farther away from discovering an identity. The NBA Playoffs are no place to be unsure. John Wall and Bradley Beal will likely shoot better moving forward, but that will mean nothing if the other adjustments are not made.
The Toronto Raptors are a true No.1 seed, but they are not infallible. There are six games left in the series and plenty of time to adjust to Toronto’s offensive and defensive cues. One must wonder, however, if the Wizards have not changed or if they cannot change.