Washington Wizards Preview: 3 Things to watch for vs. the Denver Nuggets

No. 3 – Can Davis Bertans continue his efficient shooting from three?

Five games ago, Coach Scott Brooks decided to move Davis Bertans to the starting lineup against the Chicago Bulls in hopes of “activating” him. Even though his decision came with some skepticism from many fans, it may end up being his smartest move so far this season! In his first 17 games prior to his first start of the season, Bertans was shooting a lowly 32.8  percent from three. That’s quite the drop-off for the NBA’s sixth best shooter from behind the arc last season (42.4 percent).

Bertans’ slow start can somewhat be contributed to his late arrival to Training Camp. He was stuck in Latvia dealing with visa issues and was not in real basketball shape to begin the season. Brooks inserting him into the starting lineup for three games has helped him find his rhythm. Bertans hit five threes for the first time all season against the Rockets. He finished the game with 18 points shooting 5-6 from behind the arc and 6-8 from the field overall. He was crucial in the Wizards blowout win at home.

After struggling early, Bertans is now shooting 42.1 percent from long range in the last five games. His confidence is starting to grow as the season progresses, which is perfect! The Wizards invested $80 million to retain him this offseason so they need him to become the marksman he was last year. Washington will be halfway through the season in less than three weeks and the playoffs are slipping away. The Latvian Laser has to let it fly from deep and hit at a high clip to help the Wizards continue to make that push.