Porzingis leaves early, but Wizards get their first preseason win

The preseason is almost over, as the NBA regular season is less than a week away. However, some good basketball is being played, especially by the Washington Wizards, who were able squeak out a win over the Charlotte Hornets. This was an impressive victory with Bradley Beal out due to Covid protocols and Kristaps Porzingis leaving early due to a sprained ankle.

The Wizards looked great in the first quarter, but ended up looking like last season’s team by squandering a double-digit lead. Things went from bad to worse at the end of that second quarter when Porzingis went down with the ankle injury.

We all know his injury history, which made things frightening, but luckily it was minor and should not jeopardize his status for the season opener.

In the end, the Wizards prevailed with a dominant fourth quarter to take the win from the Hornets and push their preseason record to 1-2. Here are some takeaways from the game.

Kristaps Porzingis was aggressive

Porzingis only played 16 minutes, but in that short timeframe, he looked excellent. He might have only had three rebounds on the statsheet, but he was in the paint fighting for every possession. His aggressive nature led him to shoot seven free throws, in which he made all of them.

Furthermore, his pick and pop game was on display in that first quarter. He made three out of the four threes he shot. Porzingis looked fluid with every shot he took.

Unfortunately, the injury cut his night short and gave the collective fanbase a slight jumpscare. We are excited for the potential of a Porzingis and Beal tandem, but injuries can easily put a damper on things.

Defense

The defense was not the best, but it also wasn’t the worst. It was a good middle to say the least. The bad part came from their transition, especially from Daniel Gafford. Looking at his stat line, he did produce a lot across the floor, but his defense lacked at times.

Drew Gooden on the broadcast was asked about what Gafford needed to work on and he said, “energy.” That was due to several times on misses, and even makes, Gafford would let either Nick Richards or Mark Williams run straight down the court for an easy bucket.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Wizards played great defense when it came to on the wing. Terry Rozier of the Hornets had a fantastic game, but he had three turnovers and made some high difficulty shots.

Will Barton, Delon Wright, and Jordan Goodwin were everywhere on the defensive end, despite it only being the preseason. Barton was good at staying with his assignment, while Wright and Goodwin generated a combine six steals between the two.

The Wizards defense might need some slight improvements, but the overall effort was there. They were able to grab the win, as they finish the preseason on Friday against the New York Knicks.