Takeaways from Wizards' Record-Breaking Loss to Pacers

Last night for the Washington Wizards was not only bad; it was record-breaking bad. The 53-point loss to the Indiana Pacers was the most lopsided loss in franchise history. While in the general scope of things, the team is still headed in a good direction last night's loss should be a wake-up call. A call that the Wizards will need to answer. There were two takeaways from last night's debacle in DC:

Culture matters for the good, and the bad.

This is the best locker room that the Wizards have had in years. Perfect balance of untapped young potential, young players with some experience, and veterans who've been around the block. They've bought in and want to come to work. They're building chemistry and having fun around each other. When everything is going well, it's easy to sell culture and chemistry, but what happens when things go bad?

Vets Khris Middleton, Marcus Smart, and Richaun Holmes have brought toughness to Washington, and rookies Kyshawn George and Bub Carrington are dogs who play with a chip, but where's all the aggression when things hit the fan? That's when culture is important. Just like prayer or principles, they're not for when things are good but for when things go bad. An entire fanbase saw a team shoot the breeze as they were dismantled by 53 points. They should be mad, if not, take it personally to get beaten that badly. Head coach Brian Keefe will try to light a fire but will it be in time to stop a rebuilding team from already checking out? Only time will tell.

Defense is more than word, it's a mentality

Defense has been a recurring issue all year, but you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. They're starting to build a defensive system and mentality, but last night proved one thing: you have to want it more and bring more energy. Defense is a mentality, and it can't always be taught. They have defenders. Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr are defense-first players who show offensive potential and rookies Kyshawn George and Bub Carrington are looking like two-way studs who show great energy on the defensive end. But again, it comes down to consistency. The average team or player can have off nights, but great teams or players rarely do. That's the key: consistency in effort and mentality, that's what wins championships.

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