Playoff Picture: Washington Wizards
By Luke Duffy
Why They’ll Fall Short
Is there enough firepower to make it out of the East? We know this team doesn’t boast the best offensive arsenal in the world, which is why it’s so crucial for their defense to shut down opponents and keep them in games. An offensive efficiency of 102 is good for 18th in the NBA, with some possessions being tough to watch. It can result in Wall playing some hero ball, and not the one TNT has been harping on about.
This team also scores 98 points per game, putting them 20th and below the likes of Denver and Boston. Beal can get it rolling no question, as can Wall, but beyond them, there’s no player who can catch fire and pour in the points. Ramon Sessions was a nice pickup though. Wall’s Player Efficiency Rating of 20.2 is great, especially as the league average is 15.
What concerns me though, is that his efficiency rating is the highest among his teammates, but only puts him 37th among qualifying players throughout the league.
That’s still impressive enough in itself, but when you consider so much flows through this guy, it’s not going to be enough to win more than a series you would feel (the Warriors, Spurs, Hawks and even the Jazz, have either two or three players above Wall in these standings; on paper they have more talent that contributes in a greater way).
Next: Big Man Has Broken Out