Washington Wizards: 3 Keys to victory over the Chicago Bulls
By Ethan Smith
Hold on to the Ball
First and foremost, the Washington Wizards need to hold on to the basketball if they want to avoid going 0-3 vs. the Chicago Bulls.
To their credit, the Wizards are one of the more possessive teams in the NBA this season, ranking in the top ten in the NBA in both turnovers per game and turnover percent, per Basketball-Reference. But as good as the Wizards are at holding onto the ball, the Bulls are better at taking it.
This season, the Bulls are averaging 9.9 steals and forcing 18 turnovers per game. Both are best in the league. And it’s not just volume of steals. The Bulls also rank first in defensive turnover percentage.
In their two games against Chicago this season, the Wizards have not been immune to the Bulls’ stifling defense. In their first loss, a 110-109 heartbreaker in D.C., the Wizards coughed it up 14 times. Then they lost it 16 times in their 115-106 defeat. Not terrible, but both performances are worse than average for the Wizards this season.