Washington Wizards: 3 takeaways from their victory over Denver

2. The bench serving its purpose for now

The Washington Wizards bench has been shuffled around a bit, but it’s serving its purpose so far. The Nuggets bench did outscore the Wizards 30-13 in the first half, but the Wizards’ second unit did well to keep the game within reach while the starters got some rest.

Newly acquired backup point guard Tim Frazier led the way off the bench with 10 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals in 14 minutes of play. Frazier’s highlight of the game came on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer as time expired in the first quarter. Second-year guard Tomas Satoransky was 2-for-2 from the floor with five points.

The concern going forward for the Wizards is the emergence of veterans Jodie Meeks and Mike Scott. The two faced some shooting woes against the Nuggets. Meeks was 1-for-7 from the floor and 1-of-6 from 3-point range. Scott was 1-for-5 from the field and 0-for-2 from the 3-point line.

Meeks and Scott both hit big shots in the fourth quarter while Wall and Beal got some much-needed rest. They’ll need to make good use of their minutes as they look to find their way in the rotation. It doesn’t help that Kelly Oubre Jr. has moved into the starting lineup but still, they are two players working their way back from injuries and looking for success in Washington.