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Wizards Weekly Recap: 11/19

By Max Rayman

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 9: The dc RISING logo is seen before the game between the Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards on February 9, 2015 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 9: The dc RISING logo is seen before the game between the Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards on February 9, 2015 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Missed out on this past weeks Wizards coverage? We got you covered with the Wizards Weekly Recap.

I am starting a new weekly segment where I recap the main story lines and headlines from the Wizards. These will come out every Tuesday so we will be recapping each week from Monday to Monday. Here is this past weeks Wizards news.

How they fared this past week: 1-2

Lost 140-133 to Boston

Beat Minnesota 137-116

Lost to Orlando 125-121

Upcoming Wizards match-ups:

Nov 20 Vs. Spurs

Nov 22 Vs. Hornets

Nov 24 Vs. Kings

Wizards Offense Is One Of The Best

Despite a 3-8 record the Wizards boast a top tier offensive touting an offensive rating of 112.4, best in the league. Washington’s offense is averaging 118.0 points, 27.5 assists, and 11.2 offensive rebounds a game. That is good for third, second, and sixth best in the league, respectively.

Bradley Beal has been carrying the load, as the superstar is averaging 30.1 points, with 6.9 assists, and he is shooting 45.8% from the field, 33.3% from deep, and 81.7% from the charity stripe. His three point percentage will only improve which means the offense will also get better.

The team has been able to find plenty of offensive production from the bench. Davis Bertans, CJ Miles, and Moritz Wagner have all been solid role players. Bertans and Miles are deadly shooters, while Moritz is slowly starting to increase his range. All three have the ability to stretch the floor which allows for Beal to attack the rim more. When Beal drives, a second defender has to switch over to help leaving one of those three open. Bertans, Miles, and Wagner are averaging 11.7, 9.3, 12.7 points respectively.

The Defense Is One Of The Worst

To put it bluntly, the Wizards defense is atrocious. It is holding back the team and is the reason they are 3-8 and are on the their way to another lottery pick.

A huge reason for the defenses struggles is their issue on the boards. Washington ranks 25th in the league with 43.2 rebounds a game. Center Thomas Bryant leads the team in rebounds with nine a game. However, the second highest rebounder on the team is Mo Wagner who is averaging 5.6 a game. To make matters worse, it denotes a large drop off  in production as Wagner isn’t  a starter, for now. Washington’s defense is allowing 14.8 second chance points a game, which is tied for 26th in the league. This stems from the defenses inability to rebound. Players such as Wagner and Rui Hachimura will need to step up on the boards for the Wizards to compete throughout the rest of the campaign.

Washington’s defense has a defensive rating of 114.4 which is second to last in the league. They are also allowing the most points per game with 120.1. Teams are shooting 47.6% from the field and 37.1% from deep against the Wizards. That is fifth worst in both categories. These numbers are inflated due to the teams use of defensive scheme. Washington utilizes a 2-3 zone and it is another reason for the teams defensive struggles. Teams are taking advantage of the ample space given to them when going against the zone. As a result, Washington will need to get with the times and switch to man defense in order to limit open looks.

Bradley Beal And Mo Wagner Made History

Washington showed resiliency. After losing 140-133 to the Boston Celtics, the Wizards then blew out the Minnesota Timberwolves 137-116 behind Bradley Beal’s second straight 44 point game. But it was Mo Wagner who stole the show dropping a career high 30 points and 15 boards off the bench. In fact, Wagner became the first player in NBA history to come off the bench and score 30 points with 15 rebounds while knocking down four threes in one game.

Not to be outdone, Bradley Beal made history of his own on Sunday against the Orlando Magic. He became the fifth player in franchise history to score 10,000 points, joining Wizards/Bullets legends Wes Unseld, John Wall, Elvin Hayes, and Jeff Malone.

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