The Washington Wizards are expected to take a leap this year. The Eastern Conference is much improved, but they made some big-time moves last year to put themselves in position to compete with the best of them. And through the first few games of the new campaign, Washington’s three-point defense has been leading the way, spearheaded by Alex Sarr.
So far this season, teams are shooting just 25.2% on above-the-break threes when guarded by Sarr. He’s one of three Wizards in the top four in that statistic, joined by Kyshawn George and Anthony Davis. On top of that, Bilal Coulibaly ranks eighth, and Trae Young ranks 10th. Washington’s three-point defense has been rock-solid across the board.
Washington needs to keep up that pace across the entire season, and it's faced some pretty bad shooting teams so far this season. But still, keeping teams from shooting well from beyond the arc is a great winning strategy in today’s NBA.
Three-point defense can help lead the Wizards
So far this season, through the Wizards’ first six games, teams are only shooting 28.7% from three-point land against them. That’s the best mark in the NBA. They are one of two teams (Dallas Mavericks) holding teams to under 30% shooting from deep range this season.
As mentioned, the Wizards haven’t exactly played the cream of the crop when it comes to three-point shooting teams. Washington has played the Milwaukee Bucks, the Toronto Raptors, the Chicago Bulls, the Charlotte Hornets (twice), and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But still, holding a team to below 30% shooting is impressive. And to do it over the course of a six-game stretch is certainly noteworthy. It could be where the Wizards choose to hang their hats this season.
In addition to the 25.2% teams are shooting against Sarr on above-the-break threes, George’s number is at 26.0%. Davis’ number is 26.2%, Coulibaly’s is 27.0%, and Young’s is 29.1%.
Only 15 players in the entire NBA are holding their opponents to below 30% shooting on above-the-break threes with at least 100 attempts against them so far this season.
The Wizards have five guys among those 15. No other team has more than two. It’s clear as day that the Wizards have been in a category of their own when it comes to guarding the three-ball.
It’s very early in the season. The opponents Washington is playing are a big factor. But if the Wizards can keep it up, three-point defense could be a huge part of their identity.
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