Washington Wizards: 3 Goals for Isaac Bonga next season
By Ethan Smith
Goal #3: Gain some weight
The Washington Wizards were a bad defensive team last season. Statistically, only the Cleveland Cavaliers were worse at keeping teams from scoring. But if there was any bright spot on defense, it was Isaac Bonga.
Among players that played at least 20 games in a Wizards uniform last season, Bonga posted the highest individual defensive rating (106.9) and most defensive win shares (0.067).
Bonga certainly isn’t the biggest name on the Wizards roster, but when he was off the floor, the Wizards felt it. Once Bonga went to the bench, the team’s defensive rating shot up more than 10 points, from 106.9 to 117.2.
Bonga has the length to be a nuisance on defense. He’s 6’8″ with a 7′ wingspan and a standing reach of 8’10”. And the numbers show that his presence on the defensive end is impactful. But a little weight could help out a lot.
A quick look at some of the players Bonga matched up with the most last season shows he was usually the smaller one. And by a good bit.
The Wizards trusted Bonga to check some great offensive players last season, sticking him on the likes of Ben Simmons, Khris Middleton, Luka Doncic, and Pascal Siakam. And for an inexperienced 20-year-old, Bonga did ok for the most part. But each of those guys has at least 40 pounds on Bonga.
Despite doing many good things on the defensive end, Bonga was often overpowered. Last season, opponents shot 57 percent on shots in the paint when guarded by Bonga. Unless he gets bigger, he’s going to keep getting bullied.