3 Reasons to be optimistic about the Washington Wizards in the bubble
By Ethan Smith
They’ve Been Here Before (sort of)
Whether inside the bubble or outside, taking the floor without your top two scorers isn’t usually a recipe for success. But without Beal and Bertans, the Wizards will have to find a way to win without their usual point-scorers. The two averaged a combined 45.9 points per game, nearly 40 percent of the team’s 115.6 points per game average.
But even as Beal shoveled in boatloads of buckets this season, that didn’t translate to wins. The Wizards went 15-16 when Beal scored 30 or more points and 1-9 when he scored 40 or more. They also wasted both of his 50-point performances.
In games without Beal entirely, the Wizards went 4-3. They’ve also had a taste of life without Bertans and went without the Latvian Laser for ten games this season. They went 4-6.
This season, the Wizards have played 11games without either Beal or Bertans. They went 5-6. In six of those games, the Wizards were missing both Beal and Bertans. They went 3-3 and were victorious over the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, and Boston Celtics. All three of those teams are playoff locks.
The Washington Wizards aren’t a better team with Beal and Bertans on the end of the bench, but the rest of the squad has shown they are capable of carrying the load, if only for a short time. The Wizards are down, but not out.
The stars may be sitting, but Rui Hachimura, Troy Brown Jr, Isaac Bonga, Moritz Wagner, Thomas Bryant, and the rest of the supporting can steal a few wins from playoff contenders. They’ve done it before.
With just a few games to play in the bubble before the playoffs begin, a few wins may be all the Wizards need to force a play-in game with a playoff birth on the line.