Wiz of Awes
Fansided

The Washington Wizards could surprise teams with their defense next season

By Cem Yolbulan

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 13: Daniel Gafford #21 of the Washington Wizards blocks a shot by Jake LaRavia #3 of the Memphis Grizzlies in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena on November 13, 2022 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 13: Daniel Gafford #21 of the Washington Wizards blocks a shot by Jake LaRavia #3 of the Memphis Grizzlies in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena on November 13, 2022 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

As the Washington Wizards are wrapping up their Summer League in Las Vegas, we are getting a better idea about what the team will look like next year. The Wizards may have lost a lot of talent with the departures of Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, and Monte Morris, but they may be a better defensive team than last year.

The Washington Wizards will almost certainly be a worse overall team in the 2023-24 season compared to last year. Beal, Porzingis, and Morris were not only talented starters but also three of the most experienced players on the team. The youth and inexperience of this Wizards team will make it challenging for them to rack up wins.

Yet, there is a chance the Wizards will fare better than expected, especially on the defensive end.

The Wizards finished last season as the 22nd-best defensive team in the league with a 116.5 defensive rating. However, in the minutes when Kyle Kuzma and Daniel Gafford played together without Kristaps Porzingis and Bradley Beal, they had a 113.7 defensive rating, which would have ranked 8th in the league. Considering that Kuzma and Gafford will be in the starting lineup with potentially better defensive players around them could see the Wizards overachieve on that end of the floor.

The young Wizards’ summer league performance is also a reason to be optimistic about the team’s defense for next year. Bilal Coulibaly is having a monstrous defensive stretch in Las Vegas, averaging 2.3 blocks per game, Johnny Davis has taken strides as a defensive stopper, and Ryan Rollins and Patrick Baldwin Jr have exceeded expectations defensively so far.

This means that Washington can put together surprisingly solid defensive lineups out there. It may cause them to sacrifice some offense, but lineups that have three of Bilal Coulibaly, Kyle Kuzma, Deni Avdija, and Johnny Davis on the floor have the potential to be excellent defensive units.

The trio of Kuzma, Avdija, and Coulibaly is especially intriguing. That group possesses size, athleticism, rim protection, and the ability to guard every position on the floor, creating switchable and flexible defensive units. This group can easily cover for Poole’s defensive deficiencies and make it easier for Jordan Poole to conserve his energy to the offensive end.

More likely than not the Washington Wizards will not be an elite defensive team next season. Davis, Avdija, and Coulibaly are too young and they will make a lot of mistakes. There are also weak defenders in the rotation like Jordan Poole, Corey Kispert, and potentially Tristan Vukcevic.

Yet, that doesn’t matter. The 2023-24 season will be all about showing internal development and building a culture. Being a solid defensive unit on the back of your young players would be an excellent start to building that winning culture.

Home/Wizards News