Washington Wizards: 4 goals for the second half of the season
By Ethan Smith
Goal #3: Stop falling into first-half deficits
The Washington Wizards might be the most quintessential “second-half team” in sports right now.
The Wizards have the second-worst first-half net rating in the NBA (-9.3). Only the Minnesota Timberwolves are worse to start games (-10.6). However, the Wizards seem to be a much better team in the second half. During the final 24 minutes, the Wizards are more than 10 points better than they are in the first half and post a second-half net rating of 1.5.
Unlike their first-half net rating, that 1.5 second-half rating is not one of the NBA’s worst. In fact, it ranks in the top-half of second-half net ratings coming in at 12th.
To a certain degree, the second-half comebacks have been a lot of fun to watch. Just when you think this team is out of it, they usually find a way to claw back and at least make things interesting. But that is not a formula for success. Sometimes, the holes are simply too big to climb out of.
In 19 of their 34 games this season, the Wizards have fallen behind by at least 10 points in the first half. 16 times this season, the Wizards have found themselves down by at least 15 points before halftime. That’s nearly half of their games thus far. Usually, they can’t overcome it. When falling behind by at least 10 points in the first half, the Wizards are 6-13.