Wizards' Troubling Defense Could Hamper Impending Rebuild

The Washington Wizards' most recent loss went according to plan, at least to draft-oriented fans looking to solidify the squad's odds of landing a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. They shot relatively-efficiently before losing to the Charlotte Hornets in the 129-112 defeat, falling convincingly to a local rival enjoying an elite evening of shooting of their own.

Their defense certainly did little to slow the surging Hornets, allowing 88 combined points between LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller and 49.4/54.3% shooting splits from the field and behind the 3-point line. And while ensuring that they retain their top-eight protected draft pick remains as their primary concern, some of their recent defensive shortcomings deserve questioning when wondering how such a scheme will hold up when the Wizards are ready to be competitive.

Ball led Charlotte with 37 points on 10 made threes, many of which arrived without much in the way of deterrence from his assigned defenders. While perimeter matchups continued to go under screens set for the All-Star, deep drop defenders stood and watched from 10 feet out as Ball lined up open jumper after open jumper.

This needed addressing, and I asked Coach Keefe postgame about why the Wizards struggled so much in LaMelo-based screen actions. His response wasn’t overly shocking, but this sounds like a young team struggling to get on the same page https://t.co/8hvSn0H8mJ pic.twitter.com/f3wICdRWjf
— Henry J. Brown (@henryjbr_sports) February 23, 2026

Their pick-and-roll defense isn't always as egregiously bad as it was on this night, but it's far from the caliber of your average competitive defense. With new acquisitions in Anthony Davis and Trae Young slated to make fully-healthy debuts next season, it's worth wondering whether the Wizards' present infrastructure can support a team that desires nightly wins over long-term draft upside.

How Costly is the Wizards' Defense?

Though the Wizards have generally held the line with one of the NBA's worst stopping cores all season, their defensive rating of 120 points allowed per 100 possessions still outranks two other tank-shows in the Sacramento Kings and the Utah Jazz. Their pick-and-roll defense, similarly, hasn't been quite as awful as it's occasionally looked, posting middle-of-the-road efficiency numbers in attempting to ward off those specific play types over the 2025-26 season.

Their kryptonite has arrived in their knack for bailing out opponents like no other; they're first in the league in shooting foul frequency, handing out trips to the line or extra opportunities on 12.8% of their possessions defended. That's funneled directly into their 2.9% and-one frequency, with assignments repeatedly padding their points by scoring while drawing their fouls.

Washington Wizards Head Coach Brian Keefe — Feb 20, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards head coach Brian Keefe during the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Wizards head coach Brian Keefe and guard Jaden Hardy each attributed their lack of meaningful disruption against the Hornets to poor communication and attentiveness, but it would appear that these themes are nothing new to one of the game's sloppier assortment of backcourt defenders. Other teams are already shooting a blistering 40.5% from 3-point land against them, and if nothing else can inspire more accountability, their getting repeatedly burnt from outside should help.

This issue is further exacerbated by Alex Sarr's ongoing injury-related absence, as he's among the NBA's best rim-protectors and help defenders. When one of his guards or forwards slips up, he's often there to clean up messes, and while Davis promises to help shore up that versatility and focus, especially at the rim, the often-defensively-uninterested Young certainly won't aid in such an effort.

It would be unfair to expect that the presence those stable big men, even those aided by lengthy wings like Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly, will be enough to hold down a firm perimeter defense on their own. They'll need to execute as a team by trimming down on the mistakes that are often attributed to inexperienced teams, and should they allow these systematic slip-ups to continue, questions about how realistic their goals are of actually winning in the near-future will need to be raised.

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