Debby Wong – USA Today Sports Images
If someone told the Washington Wizards or a Wizards fan that their future in the NBA was looking bright after 32 games of the regular season, they probably would have scoffed and said something along the lines of that it could only go up from there. That’s because the Wizards were 4-28 at that point, were playing without John Wall, and basically looked every bit the worst team in basketball.
With the return of Wall and a newfound energy, though, Washington was able to turn their season around for the most part, finishing the year with a record of 29-53. It wasn’t the greatest finishing record of all time, but considering how their season began, there was definitely a ton of merit in how the team finished the year.
The Wizards finished the season as one of the best defensive teams in the league. They finished the year with the eighth best defensive rating in the league, allowing just 100.6 points per 100 possessions. They also held opponents to 44 percent shooting from the field, the sixth lowest in the league, and 34.9 percent three-point shooting, the 10th lowest in the league.
In diagnosing the problems that this young Wizards team based around Wall and Bradley Beal, the issues obviously lie within their offense. They averaged just 97.8 points per 100 possessions and had a tendency to get out of the flow of their offense. The Wizards were just disjointed when they had the ball most of the time.
Though that was an issue this season, the way the Wizards performed should be an enormous cause for optimism. Offensive execution can be coached and can be taught to young players, where defense is normally the area where young players in the NBA are lacking. That’s not the case with this Wizards team, though. They are already above-average defensively and just have to get their offense clicking.
Washington has a young team with obvious potential. Based on talent alone, it’s pretty easy to imagine this team making the postseason in the very near future. However, the fact that they are already so solid defensively and will grow offensively gives this team and their fans even more hope for the future. The Wizards, once the joke of the league, are going to be good and they are going to be good sooner than you might think.
Cody Williams is a Senior NBA Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20 and like his Facebook page.
