Washington Wizards Preview: 3 Things to watch for vs. the Orlando Magic

No. 3- Who else steps up off the bench other than Davis Bertans?

Davis Bertans is without question the most consistent player off the Wizards bench. Last year, he led Washington in bench points averaging 15.4 points per game. In the first game of the season against the Sixers, he once again led the Wizards bench in scoring, finishing the game with 14 points and three rebounds. Bertans started the game cold, missing on his first two three-point attempts. However, he connected on his last four attempts and finished the game 4-6 from behind the arc.

He was the lone bright spot on the Wizards bench as no one else finished with more than eight points. Mo Wagner was the only non-starter to finish with a positive net rating but he only played 6 minutes, which was the least of any bench player. Ish Smith, Troy Brown Jr., and Robin Lopez all played more than 15 minutes off the bench against the Sixers. The three of them finished with a -21, -23, and -16 net rating, respectively. That’s just not going to cut it!

The Washington Wizards need more production out of their second unit to have any chance of contending in the Eastern Conference. Last year, the Wizards bench ranked second in terms of points scored per game. Robin Lopez, Raul Neto, and Anthony Gill are the only new additions to the reserves so the continuity should still be there. Washington is hoping that their first game against the Sixers is just an outlier, and the bench will be better moving forward as they continue to get acclimated to one another.