It might be beyond total repair, but the Washington Wizards can improve their atrocious defense with a few small changes.
The Washington Wizards are just nine games into their season, and their 140-133 loss to the Boston Celtics marked the fifth time this season that the Wizards have given up at least 120 points. They have lost all five of those games.
Surprise, Surprise. The Wizards perform better when they limit their opponents to fewer points. In the team’s only two wins, they have held their opponent to under 100 points in both games.
The strategy of outscoring their opponents isn’t working. The Wizards have scored at least 100 points in all seven of their losses, and are averaging slightly over 118 points per defeat. In thier two wins, however, the Wizards averaged just 106 points.
The difference is, in the wins, the Wizards played some defense. In their two wins, the Wizards held their opponent to under 100 points both times. In their seven losses, teams have scored 128 points on average.
So scoring isn’t the issue. The Wizards have proven they can do that with ease. Their offensive rating (111.1) is currently 5th best in the league. Somewhat surprising for a cellar dweller. The defensive rating, however, is another story. That comes in at 29th. Ouch.
Rui Hachimura: “From the beginning of the season, our defense has been no good."
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) November 14, 2019
If the Wizards want to start winning some of these close, hard-fought games, they’ll need to get some stops. A few small changes on the defensive end could help make all the difference.