Wizards Need to Build Their Own Energy

The Washington Wizards have to rely on themselves to get into games.

Dec 13, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards have lost 20 of their first 23 games of the season, but they have looked worse in some games compared to others.

That wasn't the case in the team's last game against the Cleveland Cavaliers when they lost by 10 points to the best squad in the NBA on the road.

A big reason behind the Wizards' success against the Cavs had to do with their ability to generate energy early in the first quarter.

“We talked a lot this morning. He talked to us a lot about the energy we had to put in to play good games and that's what we did today. It helped us a lot,” Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly said after the game.

In many of Washington's games this season, the Wizards knock themselves out of the game in the first quarter by digging themselves into a hole early without a shovel. That wasn't the case against the Cavs, as they held in with them through three quarters. It was the fourth quarter when the Cavs started to pull away.

The Wizards cannot rely on anyone but themselves to generate this energy. It won't come from the crowd, especially on the road, and it won't come from the other team. The Wizards have to get themselves hyped and amped for the game in order to start off strong. If they can do this more consistently, the Wizards will find themselves winning a couple more games than they have in the past.

The Wizards return to the friendly confines of Capital One Arena tonight as they take on Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the defending champion Boston Celtics for the third time this season in the nation's capital. Tipoff for the game is set for 6 p.m. ET.

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