3 Washington Wizards who could be secret weapons in Orlando
By Ethan Smith
Secret Weapon: Isaac Bonga
The Washington Wizards have made a lot of noise this season as one of the NBA’s more high-powered offense. They have scored 125 or more points in 15 of there 64 games this season.
They are not, however, known for their defense. The Wizards are dead last in the NBA in defensive rating. They have gotten better on that end since trading Isaiah Thomas who proved to be a human turnstile, causing a catastrophic domino effect on the entire defense. However, they are still far from elite.
While they are a defensive mess collectively, there are a few who stand out individually. Most notably, Isaac Bonga. Per 100 possessions, the Wizards give up about nine fewer points when Bonga is on the court vs when he isn’t, according to stats from Cleaning the Glass. Such a swing ranks him in the 96th percentile among all players.
The Wizards’ turnover percent also increases by about 3.4 percent with Bonga on the floor. That boost ranks him in the 99th percentile among all active players. Very few players, if any, seem to have as strong of an impact on their team’s defense as Bonga does on the Wizards’.
If the Wizards want to win in Orlando, they’ll need to get some stops. They’ll need Isaac Bonga.