What Went Wrong in the Wizards 42 Point Loss to the Brooklyn Nets
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The Wizards were physically in the building but seemed to be a shell of themselves after allowing a shorthanded Nets team to completely dominate them.
This matchup was the perfect opportunity for the Wizards to take advantage of the disarray surrounding Brooklyn but instead they didn’t show up after a strong performance against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Nets were able to score 60 points in the paint and take advantage of three-pointers, hitting 14-28 attempts. The Wizards only averaged 23.5% from three. They also never found an offensive rhythm which is reflected by the lopsided 128 – 86 score.
Coach Wes Unseld Jr After Game Press Conference
BreAnna Holmes - Inside The Wizards
The Wizards were competitively in the game early on and even had a six-point lead. There were four lead changes and two tie scores before the Brooklyn Nets kicked it into high gear late in the second quarter. Coach Wes Unseld Jr expressed disappointment in how the team played and detailed when the shift happened in the game. Offensively, the Nets never looked back and the Wizards could not recover.
Another problem, and potentially the Wizards biggest challenge, has been their Achilles heel for years…defense. This was looking to be a year where the Wizards had finally turned the corner in this area. Since Delon Wright's grade two hamstring strain injury, it’s clear his defensive capabilities are missed on the court.
Bradley Beal After Game Presser. Photo Credit: BreAnna Holmes
“It was a letdown,” Bradley Beal said in reaction to the loss. “It was definitely a step back on the defensive end. We showed no resistance, no physicality, and really no pride on that end of the floor. We didn’t have it at all tonight.”
In classic Kyle Kuzma fashion, he didn't mince words when reacting to the Wizards embarrassing loss. After an expletive, he finally identified a few issues the team faced against the Nets. Kuzma noted that the Wizards focused too much on Kevin Durant (28 pts) early in the game which opened up shots for players like Nic Claxton (18 pts) and Royce O’Neale (13 pts).
The Wizards are traveling to Tennessee to face the Ja Morant led Memphis Grizzlies. The team will need to recover quickly and come over prepared for their opponents going forward. Losses like the one the team took against Brooklyn cannot happen again if they want to be viewed as a strong contender in the East.
