The Big Picture
Bad news, the Wizards still kinda suck. Good news, they showed big signs of improvement this week and are only 1.5 games out of the playoffs in the horrible east.
This was, far and away, the Wizards best week of the season they doubled their win total and scored two wins against divisional opponents. While the wins, along with the desperately needed improved play from Wall and Beal were good, the best part of this week’s slate was the actual effort Washington gave in the wins against the Heat and Magic. Now don’t get cocky here, the Wiz only registered a +5 point differential against two teams with a combined record of 11-16. They didn’t beat the Warriors, but it’s a start on getting out of this huge hole.
Next week the Wizards continue the homestand with three homes games including two against weak eastern conference opponents. First the unbelievably bad 1-11 Cleveland Cavaliers, and then the pleasant surprise Brooklyn Nets, finishing with the red hot 10-3 Portland Trail Blazers. If they can get out of next week 2-1 I will be happy.
L @ ORL 117-108 (11/9)
It was after this game that more than a few people called this season dead and some more were calling for Scott Brooks head. However, and I’m not promising anything here, but halftime of this game may the turning point of this long season. The Wizards were down 15 points at the break (and 25 earlier in the game), however they put together a nice comeback effort with Jeff Green at center as the Wizards climbed all the way back to being down by just one with under a minute left, they just couldn’t finish the epic comeback.
Was there was good? Yes. However the fact that they came out of the gate so slow at 2-8 was unacceptable, this team needed to understand that they aren’t an elite team that can sleepwalk through games and win, they need to show effort and if they can’t understand that than they should be a lottery club. Maybe Scott Brooks said something like that because the next game, they actually showed effort for a majority of the contest.
W vs MIA 116-110 (11/10)
I turned this game off after the first few minutes. It looked like more of the same, lazy effort, selfish play, bad body language, and there was college football I could watch instead while being snowed in.
Boy, did I miss a turn around though. It was a full on blitz from Washington including a beast night from Uncle Jeff Green. Green totaled 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 10 rebounds while registering a game high +14. I like Markieff Morris, but I’m starting to think that Green might be better off as the starting four. In other news the all-star backcourt played like an all-star backcourt once again as Wall and Beal combined for 46 points, Austin Rivers joined Jeff Green in a strong bench showing, and if you are standing you might want to sit down because…the Wizards won the rebounding battle by over ten boards. For those of you who didn’t faint from shock, let’s move on to the 2nd consecutive win for the first time this season.
W vs ORL 117-109 (11/12)
Now why two NBA teams would play each other twice over the course of four days is far beyond any sense of reasoning I have, but that’s besides the point. This was a crazy game, not for any normal reason, but because every single player on the bench had a better plus/minus rating than any starter for the Wizards. I don’t even know the last time that happened in Washington when garbage time wasn’t involved.
This game was basically what you want to see at this point from these Wizards, strong play from Wall and Beal (combined for 46 points and 14 assists) decent play from the rest of the starters. The strong bench performance, led by Jeff Green, would be great to see again. However, I try to a realist and for that reason I don’t expect we will see a performance like this again for a while.
The only glaring negative from this game, and these wins in general, is the continued criminal under utilization of Otto Porter. We aren’t paying him 27 plus million dollars to only play 22 minutes are shoot the ball four times from the field. Brooks need to draw up more plays for him and needs to be more assertive, this is getting ridiculous.