Washinton Wizards: How NBA rule change will affect the Wizards

With a new rule in place for offensive rebounding, the Washington Wizards will feel the effect after the signing of Dwight Howard.

With Dwight Howard rocking the red, white, and blue for the District, the Washington Wizards will be one of the top rebounding teams in the league next season. And with a new rule in place for offensives rebounding, the Wizards may feel the effect more than anyone else in the league.

According to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA Board of Governors approved three significant rule changes for the 2018-19 season. The biggest change of all, a reset of the shot clock to 14 seconds following an offensive rebound, the league announced Friday.

The new rule comes months after it was implemented during the 2018 Summer League play, as well as the WNBA, and G League. According to Wojnarowski’s report, the reduction of the shot clock following an offensive rebound will have the biggest impact in late-game situations.

With the likes of Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris as their top two rebounders, the Wizards have established themselves as a mediocre rebounding team over the past few years. However, with the signing of Howard, its safe to say that the Wizards will skyrocket to the top of the league in the rebounding department.

Throughout his 14 year career, Howard has established himself as one of the best offensive rebounders in the league.

According to Basketball Reference.com, the future Hall-of-Famer has averaged 3.5 offensive boards throughout his career. As a member of the Hornets, Howard pulled down 3.1 offensive rebounds last season, while helping Charlotte become the 10th best team in the league in second-chance points.

Although Howard will give Washington several extra possessions with his ability to clean the glass, it’s going to be crucial for the Wizards to learn how to execute their offense in a timely matter.

Even though 14 seconds is still a good amount of time, the possibility of running the offense with a 10-second reduction may be hard for the Wizards to adapt. Especially with John Wall orchestrating the offense in Washington.

Since entering the league in 2010, Wall has become a ball dominated guard throughout his career. And his unwillingness to give up the ball in a punctual manner has been his biggest flaw as the leader on the court.

However, as the point guard, Wall must learn how to promptly facilitate for his teammates, particularly due to the possibility of running an offense with a 14-second shot clock. Following an offensive board from Howard, it would be in the team’s best interest to immediately kick the ball to Bradley Beal and Otto Porter Jr, Washington’s best catch-and-shoot players.

In addition to the shot clock rule following an offensive rebound, the NBA made two other rule changes that will be in full effect for the upcoming season.

According to Wojnarowski, the NBA changed the rule to simplify the clear-path fouls in transition. As well as expanding the meaning of a hostile act to trigger replay with interactions involving players, fans, and referees.