The Washington Wizards’ fairy-tale start to the year has come to a grinding halt, and it may be bringing some underlying issues to the surface.
Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports this week that several Wizards players have concerns about the direction and structure of the team’s offense. The report adds that players have given less effort on the defensive end as they have lost confidence in the offense.
“At the end of the day, it’s like the old saying, ‘You’ve got to throw a squirrel a nut,’” Wizards big man Montrezl Harrell was quoted as saying. “We’re not saying throw it to us and let us clear out and iso and go and do our thing. No. But at the same time, let us feel it, not just off rebounding and then giving it to a guard. No, let us get a touch early to get a shot. Let’s give us something to let us feel like we’re involved in the game as well.”
Wizards guard Spencer Dinwiddie also said recently that the team runs an “equal-opportunity system” in which every player other than star teammate Bradley Beal takes an almost identical number of shots per minute.
The Wizards, who are led by first-year head coach Wes Unseld Jr., began the season 10-3. But they have now lost seven of their last nine games and are creeping back toward the .500 mark. Washington is also near the bottom ten in the league in both offensive and defensive efficiency (per ESPN).
Granted, the team is also incorporating several first-year Wizards, including the likes of Harrell, Dinwiddie, Kyle Kuzma, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. That means that some growing pains are to be expected. But this is probably not what Wizards fans want to hear about the state of their team, especially with Beal’s noteworthy recent comments about his future.
Photo: Jan 30, 2020; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) warms up before the game between the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
