This Washington Wizards roster, put together by Will Dawkins, is obviously improved top to bottom compared with what we’ve seen in recent years. Outside of the starting five of All-Stars Anthony Davis and Trae Young, cornerstones Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr, and, of course, the face of the franchise, AJ Dybantsa, the team consists of former lottery picks, NBA Champions, and productive young players who should make the reserves one of the most lethal bench units in the Association.
If Wednesday’s home loss to the Atlanta Hawks is evidence, however, it is anything but. Getting outscored 52-16 by the Hawks' bench in comparison is an easy way to lose, but what makes it more puzzling is that the players are there to be an effective bench.
There’s talent on the bench; they just aren’t producing
Currently, Head Coach Brian Keefe has a bench that includes veterans Khris Middleton and Deandre Ayton (who has been solid), former Wizards lottery picks Tre Johnson and Bilal Coulibaly, and other very promising young guys like Will Riley, Bub Carrington, and Tre Mann. So why such poor production from the second unit? On the topic of the bench being outscored by such a large margin after Wednesday’s loss, Keefe said:
"It’s early in the season. We’re playing with different combinations, different groups. I got great faith in our guys.”
And while he’s right that it’s still early, you can’t help but feel a bit demoralized by a 36-point difference from the two teams’ respective benches in a game that, while the final score says it was a 15-point loss, was certainly winnable at times.
While the bench has talent, a backup ball handler could unlock it
Despite the influx of talent, right now it is a collection of guys who seem lost on a possession-by-possession basis, which is also where a steady backup point guard can come in.
Whether that be running a guy like Kyshawn George with the backups more, or going out to acquire that guy, this Wizards bench would go up several tiers with a facilitator directing everything.
It would be useful to have someone who knows when to dish to Johnson or Carrington from three, how to maximize the lob threat that Ayton can be in the pick-and-roll, taking advantage of Coulibaly as a cutter, and more. The current bench has plenty of talent, but they need someone to keep everyone on track and, if/when that does happen, watch them take off.
This will be something to keep an eye on as the NBA season moves forward.
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