A new team, a new coach, and a new season for the Washington Wizards is less than one month away. With every season comes expectations, hopes, and pipe dreams for a front office and a fanbase. By definition, this is a new-look Wizards team with many fresh faces on the roster.
Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and Spencer Dinwiddie headline the additions along with draft pick Corey Kispert.
The offense is a given. Bradley Beal, Dinwiddie, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope should have no problem putting the ball through the hoop. With only one other legitimate scoring option in Russell Westbrook last year, Beal came up second in the scoring title. Now that he has players who can space the floor besides sixth men like Davis Bertans, he should put up similar numbers with less effort. The Wizards are also more likely to get second chances with big dogs like Harrell, Daniel Gafford, and a newly healthy Thomas Bryant on the low block
Do the Wizards look less top-heavy? Yes. Does it look like Bradley Beal has more support? Indeed. But the Wizards need to change their identity unless they want more of the same. They need to turn things around in one category that’s plagued them for years. Defense.
Without defense, Wizards will repeat last season
Regarding analytics (beyond individual points, rebounds, and assists), team rebounding and defensive ratings are as far as I go. The team with the most rebounds is the team most likely to win the game.
High ranks in the rebounding department usually mean more contested shots. Take the Utah Jazz, for example. They were a top-three rebounding team which contributed to them having the best record in the regular season. More rebounds mean fewer opportunities for the other team. Grabbing boards is indicative of a team forcing opponents to take challenging shots unless you’re the Washington Wizards.
While Washington might have ranked 6th in rebounding, they were a wallowing 20th in defensive efficiency. They were dead last in points allowed (118 points per game). When a team is allowed to score that much in a game, that means more rebounding opportunities, so the stat indicating that they’re top-ten in rebounding is a misleading one.
For the past six seasons, the Washington Wizards have not been a consistent defensive-minded team. From 2015 to this season, they haven’t come close to a top-ten team defensive rating. With Wes Unseld Jr. manning the helm, there should be an improvement since he was in charge of defensive schemes for the Denver Nuggets, who ranked 8th.
New Wizards need to lead the charge
Montrezl Harrell, after being buried by the Lakers, offers an all-around presence in the post. He can defend and rebound with ferocity, which the Wizards desperately need. His six rebounds a game coming off the bench, not to mention his immeasurable hustle and intimidation, should be a welcome addition to a second unit because whenever Beal or Westbrook would leave the floor, offense and defense would become stagnant. In the right situation, he should limit opposing big mens’ second chance opportunities as well as be a solid rim protector.
In addition to his shooting ability, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope does have the potential to be a solid defender. We saw flashes of it during the bubble season. He won’t lock down premier guards like Zach LaVine or Donovan Mitchell, but he’ll be able to pester the Seth Currys and Buddy Hields of the NBA.
Kyle Kuzma is going to be the biggest question mark. Often while on the Lakers, he was either buried, or whenever he did play, it was like he wasn’t even on the floor. He plays physically but is subject to commit frustration fouls. At 6-10 and 220 pounds, he has all the physical gifts to a be lockdown defender on forwards and guards. While his points have dropped off, the fourth-year man out of Utah took a step forward in rebounding, averaging six a game. As I’ve said before, more rebounding always helps.
What he needs to realize is that while he might have the potential to be a 20-a-night scorer, he just isn’t there yet. Unseld needs to get Kuzma to hang his hat on the defensive end.
In fact, Wes Unseld Jr. needs to get everyone to buy in on defense. It starts and ends with him.
Wizards defensive mentality starts with Unseld
If Unseld doesn’t instill a defensive mentality from the opening tip-off, fans should expect a track meet with teams running up and down the floor like it’s a pickup game. Offensive ratings don’t mean a thing unless the other team has a more difficult time scoring. They have the personnel to make it happen, but the direction comes from the coach.
That means not switching everything, going from man to zone depending on the situation, and using big bodies to establish a physical presence. It was clear as day that there was no urgency on the defensive end, thinking they could outscore their opponents. But look at the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns, the two teams that eventually faced off in the Finals. Both had gifted scorers and athletic freaks, but what did both teams do? They defended and imposed their will. Each ranked in the top ten in terms of team defensive ratings.
With the personnel shift this offseason, the Washington Wizards should have a culture shift as well. Away from the porous scoring machine of the last decade to a brick wall of young, hungry players looking to reestablish themselves in the Nation’s Capital.