Washington Wizards Have Forgotten How to Play Defense
Washington Wizards used to pride themselves on their defense, but this season the team has forgotten how to defend both inside and out.
I cannot pinpoint exactly when it happened, but the Washington Wizards have forgotten how to play proper defense.
The level of basketball played in the NBA will make it difficult to, well, play defense. No matter how well contested a shot is, there’s a chance that it will drop. Players at the NBA level are superheroes, almost. But what matters is that the defense is actually played.
On Monday night against the Miami Heat, the Wizards – for the most part – forgot to play defense.
Goran Dragic scored 34 points – the most he’s ever scored while playing for the Heat. He scored 13 points to close out the game in the fourth quarter.
Even if Bradley Beal scores 29 points and John Wall goes for 30, what does that matter if the opposing team outscores the Wizards?
Dragic did hit some tough shots – including two off the glass – but most of his looks were uncontested.
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Washington seemed so worried about pushing the ball up the floor, that they just refused to play defense.
On some possessions, the Wizards ran up the court before they even grabbed the rebound.
Instead of building on their two straight wins, the Washington Wizards reverted back to not playing defense.
Other teams – like the Heat, who lost five straight prior to Monday’s game – look at the Wizards on their schedule and try to use that game to gain momentum of their own.
The team, as a unit, wasn’t contributing on the defensive end – including Wall and Beal.
The Heat, who are third in rebounding, got whatever they wanted against the Wizards.
Hassan Whiteside has typically torched Marcin Gortat and that continued on Monday. He snatched 13 defensive rebounds and 3 offensive rebounds off the glass.
Rebounding has been the death knell for the Wizards this season. The second chance points only hurt the Wizards’ defense, which is already poor.
Last season after being blown out by the Oklahoma City Thunder, former Wizards coach Randy Wittman spoke about the team’s unacceptable play.
We’re just too soft of a team right now. I might as well stick four guards and a center out there and play, because we’re getting beat on the boards with my supposed big men out there. We’ve got guys that play 27 minutes and get one defensive rebound. I can get a rebound. I guarantee it. If you give me 27 minutes on Saturday, I’ll get you a rebound.
Washington’s soft mentality has caused them to let wins slip out of their hands, including the game against the Heat.
The defensive pressure was virtually nonexistent. Washington has allowed guards – and the backcourt deserves blame for some of this – to completely dominate by carving the defense. From then, the bigs are given more freedom to operate.
Before Monday’s game, Miami ranked near the bottom of the league in 3-point shooting, coming in at 25. But against Washington, Miami lit it up, knocking down 13 of their 27 shot attempts from downtown.
The Heat’s bench also got in the action, scoring a combined 36 points.
It’s no secret that the Washington Wizards lack offensive options, but everyone can at least attempt to play defense. It’s really not too much to ask. Just guard your man.
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