Washington Wizards: 4 things the Wizards will be better at this season
By Ethan Smith
The Washington Wizards will get to the foul line more often
Wizards were seventh in NBA last season in free throw attempts per game. They averaged 24.6 from the charity stripe during each contest. But much like with pace, where the Wizards will go from a fast team to one of the fastest, the Wizards will also be improving their top-ten free throw rate from last season.
Although the Wizards ranked relatively high in free throw attempts per game, that number was largely inflated due to one man’s efforts: Bradley Beal. Beal averaged 8.0 attempts per game and was shooting more than that towards the end of the season. He finished ninth in total free throws despite missing 15 games.
His new backcourt partner, Russell Westbrook, should help the Wizards get to the line even more often next season. Despite sharing the floor with James Harden, who led the NBA with an absurd 11.8 free throw attempts each game, Westbrook still found a way to get to the line. His rim-attacking style of play almost guarantees he will.
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Last season, Westbrook averaged 6.7 free throw attempts per game, and although that’s a good bit less than Beal, it’s more than double any other Wizard still left from last season. Alongside Harden, Westbrook helped the Rockets enjoy the fourth-highest free throw rate in the NBA. It’s a physically taxing way to get points, but they’re called free throws for a reason—the more trips to the line, the better. It means easy points for the Wizards and foul trouble for opponents. The definition of a win-win.