The Washington Wizards entered Thursday night's showdown against the Dallas Mavericks looking to snap their 15 game losing streak. However, with a depleted roster due to injuries, a task that already seemed too tall for this Wizards roster only grew with half the team seemingly on the injury report.
Nonetheless, the Wizards entered their matchup against Dallas hoping that the players they did have on the court would be enough to get the job done and pull off the upset. Despite, their high hopes. the Mavericks steamrolled Washington on their home court in route to a 137-101 win.
However, in the loss, the team managed to get a performance from a former lottery pick in the loss, that could earn him more playing time if he can stack similar performances.
Marvin Bagley III impresses in loss to Mavs
Marvin Bagley III was put in position to join the team's starting lineup after an abundance of injuries on the Wizards roster piled up before Thursday's game. The former Duke star seemingly took advantage of the opportunity with an impressive night against the Western Conference contenders.
Bagley finished the game with 16 points, eight rebounds and two steals on the night. The forward shot an efficient 63.6% from field goal range (7/11 FG) and 66.7% from beyond the arc (2/3 3PT) in the loss. An efficient shooting night and solid defense could be exactly what the big man needs to find more minutes in the rotation after averaging only seven minutes per game on the season.
At 25, Bagley has plenty of time to develop into even a rotation player on a contending team. After underwhelming due to injuries throughout the start of the former lottery pick's career, the 6-foot-10 forward has bounced around the league looking for a place to stick. Perhaps in Washington he could bounce back on his feet if he can stack solid outings like Thursday night.
Jordan Poole disappoints...again
In a night where the Wizards desperately needed Jordan Poole to rise to the occasion for the Wizards to have any hope in this matchup, the guard dropped the ball. In 32 minutes of play, the Michigan product finished with 11 points, eight assists and one rebound, while shooting 28.6% from the field (4/14 FG) and 25% from three (2/8 3PT) in the loss.
Considering Poole inconsistent play over the last couple of weeks, it's safe to wonder if he could be considered a trading chip as the NBA Trade Deadline approaches.