Balance is Key for Wizards' Long and Short-Term Success

Believe it or not, the Washington Wizards are on a winning streak.

While they're still in the running in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, the Wizards could use all the momentum they can get heading into the trade deadline. This will hopefully be a younger team in the 2nd half and with youth comes mistakes but the question for the Wizards as they head to Brooklyn is: can they make it three straight? and, before looking ahead to the Nets, how did the Wizards win last night?

For the Wizards win against the Hornets, the right people played at the right level. Jordan Poole was under the weather and it showed, as he was relegated to being a decoy for most of the night. But, that allowed others to step up. Kyle Kuzma was aggressive like he should have been, dropping 22 points. Bilal Coulibaly showed what he could do offensively, dropping 26 points and making four three-pointers, which is a very encouraging sign for the future.

The Wizards shined in the paint and won the battle of rebounding 57-55. Yes, Mark Williams did what he usually does against the Wizards, scoring 23 points and adding 14 rebounds but Jonas Valanciunas and Richaun Holmes combined for 27 boards. With Alex Sarr down with an injury, JV and Holmes stepping up in the paint was a defining factor for the Wiz-Kidz.

The bench unit stepped up also. Kispert was sniping like Tom Berenger, shooting 5-9 from three and scoring 25 points. Malcolm Brogdon looked good coming back from injury, scoring 16 points and dishing out 7 assists. The 2nd unit stepping up was another factor in the Wizard's victory.

They needed a balanced game to win and every core group (Veterans, prospects, bench unit) that needed to step up did and that's all the Wizards could ask for. Can the Wizards make it three straight, maybe? Balance is the answer. It's always about balance.

For the Wizards to capitalize on and properly utilize its roster, they must be balanced. Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma are the top two scoring options but the question is, who steps up when one or both struggle? Bilal needs to be that guy consistently. Paint presence is key and helps balance the starting five. Sarr, JV, and Holmes being successful helps and complements the backcourt. The bench is the third and just as important piece. The starters have to come out eventually and having solid production from the 2nd unit helps the team keep their foot on the accelerator and fight for four quarters.

Can the Wizards stay balanced as they head into Brooklyn? For the sake of the "play hard, play to win" culture of head coach Brian Keefe, it behooves them to do so.

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