Washington Wizards: Positional Breakdown Following 108-100 Loss To Dallas

In a season expected by many to be a “rebuilding” campaign in which franchise cornerstone Bradley Beal would lead a core of younger players to mediocrity overshadowed by organizational shuffling, once tip-off arrived on Wednesday Night, it was time to play ball. Here is a position by position breakdown of each Wizard from the matchup against the Mavericks.

*Denotes Starter

Point Guard

*Ish Smith (7 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists)

Without Wall and Isaiah Thomas, it’s Smith’s show to run in DC in the meantime. Throughout his journeyman career thus far in the NBA, Smith hasn’t been the premier scorer or the “go to guy” at any stop he’s made, however, what he will do, and what he has done, is run the show as a true point guard should. With just two quarters of work against the Mavs, Smith was active on both ends of the floor despite going 3/9 (33%) from the field.

Chris Chiozza (6 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds)

Like Thomas, Chiozza won’t blow you away in warm-ups as you walk down the tunnel. He’s crafty, quick, and is able to create for himself and others, typical of a Scott Brooks bred floor general. Now in his second stint as a Wizard, Chiozza enjoyed a healthy amount of minutes shooting over 66% from three while tying for the team high in blocks with one.

Shooting Guard

*Bradley Beal (19 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists)

We asked pregame in a twitter poll how many points fans believe Beal will average during the 2019-2020 season as he is undoubtedly Washington’s “go to” guy. Beal stuck true to history as Wednesday evening saw Beal post 19 points, the same amount scored in his only visit to Dallas in 2018. A typical sharpshooter from deep, Beal began his evening 0-7 from three, and finished a dismal 1-11 (9.1%) overall from beyond the arc. A two-time All-Star, Beal will look to rid of his below-average performance as the Wizards now focus on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jordan McRae (11 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds)

As the season develops, keep an eye out for McRae as his elite scoring ability could garner him increased minutes. McRae continually used his lengthy frame to slash through the Mavericks defense en route to 11 points in 23 minutes of action. Now in his second full season with the Wizards, McRae’s role off the bench could potentially become invaluable as his nack of creating his own shot simply cannot be taught. In basketball, most points wins, and with McRae now a viable option in Brook’s rotation, 11 a night could be the floor for the fourth year man out of Tennessee.

Small Forward

*Isaac Bonga (9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists)

An offseason addition from the Lakers, Bonga’s debut as expected came with both highs and lows. The stat sheet doesn’t tell the story of the motor of Bonga, something both Brooks and GM Tommy Sheppard harped on during the offseason. The 19-year old was ultra-active in his 22 minutes of work recording both a steal and block, joining Chiozza as the only Wizards to record one of each against Dallas.

Admiral Schofield (0 points, 0 rebounds, 1 assist)

A disappointing debut for the Wizards second-round rookie to say the least. In 16 minutes of action, Schofield often found himself deep in the shot clock on the perimeter with seemingly zero options to create a look. All three of his FG attempts were from beyond the arc and none of them tickled the twine. A physical, menacing prospect, Schofield has the tools and will look to rebound against OKC.

Power Forward

*Rui Hachimura (14 points, 10 rebounds, 0 assists)

The ninth overall pick in the 2019 draft used his debut as a coming out party for the rest of the NBA, and world to notice. Hachimura, the first Japanese-born NBA player recorded a double-double in just 24 minutes of work. Often lined up opposite the 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis, Hachimura more than held his own focusing on fundamentals and hustle to garner second-chance opportunities in the paint. His four offensive rebounds tied fellow front court big Thomas Bryant for most among all players. Hachimura thrived in the mid-range knocking down seven of his 15 FG attempts, occasionally working the two-man game with Bryant. His ability to find the open spot and maneuver his way in the paint creating opportunities around the court will prove invaluable as Washington’s key pieces begin to filter in.

Davis Bertans (7 points, 4 rebounds, 0 assists)

Streaky was the best word to describe the 6-foot-10 former San Antonio Spur in Bertans. An elite three-point threat, he saw himself with tight off ball coverage throughout the night, a tactic employed by Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle who saw Bertans often during his time in the western conference. In a radio interview earlier in the week, Scott Brooks described Bertans as the teams “best three-point shooter along with Brad [Beal],” but Wednesday just wasn’t his night. Bertans knocked down two of his six deep balls and otherwise was non-existent as he prefers to make a living as a spot up shooter.

Center

*Thomas Bryant (14 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists)

After departing Los Angeles just over a year ago, Bryant has quickly moved up the depth chart and is now one of the leaders on the floor at just 21 years old. A double-double machine, Bryant was back to business against the Mavs. With DeAndre Jordan now in New York, Max Kleber takes over at the five for Dallas, and Bryant made him pay throughout the evening. His 14 points came on 4-of-9 shooting while knocking down all six of his free throw attempts, a credit to his motor and skillset on the offensive end. With Ian Mahinmi seemingly irrelevant with no return in sight, it’s Bryant’s job down low and the Wizards have begun to build a heck of a 4-5 combo with he and Hachimura.

Moe Wagner (13 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists)

“Moe Buckets” as him teammates refer to him got off to a slow start Wednesday but quickly switched into gear after recording four personal fouls in his first seven minutes. Wagner arrived in DC along with Bonga over the summer and they both now find themselves in the thick of the offensive scheme for Scott Brooks. Despite fouling out, Wagner enjoyed an impressive shooting performance knocking down four of his five field goals, three of which from beyond the arc. Along with Bryant and Hachimura, the trio of big men combined for 70 minutes of action recording 41 points.

DNP:

Justin Robinson

Garrison Mathews

Up Next:

Friday @ Oklahoma City Thunder