Hoops Habit
Fansided

Washington Wizards: 5 Reasons Not To Panic

By Colby Giacubeno

Nov 10, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (M) looks on while sitting on the bench against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the third quarter at Verizon Center. The Thunder won 125-101. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 10, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (M) looks on while sitting on the bench against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the third quarter at Verizon Center. The Thunder won 125-101. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 6
Next
Oct 16, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Wizards head coach Randy Wittman reacts to a play against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Wizards won 127-118. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 16, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Wizards head coach Randy Wittman reacts to a play against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Wizards won 127-118. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

The Washington Wizards are currently 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 3-4 record. After an impressive showing last postseason, and an active offseason, this isn’t the start that anyone expected. The NBA season is just a little over two weeks in, so while it is acceptable to be concerned about the team’s lackluster performances thus far, people shouldn’t yet be entering panic mode.

As the season approached, there was excitement surrounding this Wizards team mainly because of the change in offensive philosophy. With young players such as John Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter, there was no reason why they shouldn’t be ranked in the upper-half of the league in terms of pace. Wittman made it evident that he was supportive of the change from the get-go this season — and it showed during preseason and through their first seven games — but now there is another reason for concern that is holding them back from reaching their full potential–defense.

They are currently 29th in the NBA in total defense (allowing opponents to score 110.4 ppg). The focus shifts towards that end of the floor, and once they get a hold on that, it should result in more victories coming their way. Here are five reasons that Wizards fans should not panic just yet.

Next: 1. Successful Uptempo Offense

Home/Washington Wizards