Washington Wizards: Looking Deeper a Quarter of the Way Through the Season
This last offseason included a lot of change for the Washington Wizards (3-16) and 19 games into the new season we a deeper look into what has happened and why.
The Wizards got an entire new front office, and then they traded guard Bradley Beal and forward Kristaps Porzingis which signaled they were ready to start a full rebuild.
READ MORE: Wizards Two Additional Games Revealed
Losing games is something we all expected from Washington this year but some of the ways they lost has been disheartening, blowing huge leads and crumbling in crunch time.
Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) looks on during a break in play against the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter at Amway Center.
Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
They have been at or near the bottom in every defensive category this season which has made them hard to watch at times.
Not to mention the fact that the Wizards are the worst rebounding team in the NBA and have been all season.
Playing bad defense with no rebounding means trouble in the league unless you can score consistently, something Washington doesn't do.
The offense has issues with going long stretches without scoring especially in clutch minutes.
Part of the problem is the shooting struggles of guard Jordan Poole.
He has shot 39.1 percent from the field and only 28.6 percent from three-point range.
Before the season, Poole was looked at as someone who would be a large contributor in any success the Wizards would have this year.
Between his lack of defense, ineffective offensive attack and late game turnovers Poole has hurt Washington more then helped.
There are some bright sides, as forward Kyle Kuzma is having another career year in a Wizards uniform fresh off his extension.
Forward Deni Avdija is also having a career year, finally showing why he was a lottery pick and should be get an extension.
Plus, rookie guard Bilal Coulibaly has shown how bright his future can be defensively plus surprising everyone with his great three-point shooting.
The losses are going to keep piling up with no end in sight for Washington, but a different outlook should be used by fans to view this team.
Is there improvement?
Are the young players getting better?
Is the coaching staff and front office making proper adjustments to help the growth and speed the rebuild up?
Only time will give us these answers, but perspective is important in times like these.
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