The Washington Wizards have shot more deep 2-pointers than any other team in the NBA. That alone might be the reason they’re struggling to put team they’re better than away.
The way of the modern NBA consists of two types of shots: 3-pointers and shots at the rim. In this world of advanced analytics, everything else is deemed inefficient.
The stat-heads (myself included) might have a point, since 3-pointers allow a team to shoot at a worse field goal percentage and still put up a high amount of points and shots at the rim go in at a higher rate, often leading to free throws as well.
The teams who shoot higher clips of 3s have started to float to the top of the standings while teams who rely more on mid-rangers seem to be struggling. Now there are obviously exceptions to this rule. Some teams who are shooting a hefty amount of mid-rangers can still be successful just like teams who chuck up 3s can fail, but the trend with the modern NBA is, the more 3s and shots at the rim you take, the more efficient your offense is.
All of this is a lengthy preamble to help explain why the Washington Wizards might be struggling this season more than others. To better understand the shooting trends of the Wizards, we’ll have to break up their shots by distance to the hoop.
Below is a look at the team’s field goal attempts per game (and ranking in the league) from each distance to the hoop:
- Less than 5 feet: 26.0 (28th)
- 5-9 feet: 8.3 (14th)
- 10-14 feet: 9.7 (2nd)
- 15-19 feet: 11.9 (3rd)
- 20-24 feet: 11.8 (24th)
- 25-29 feet: 17.5 (17th)
As you can see from the chart above, the Wizards are taking more long 2s than almost every single team in the league. While there are some arguments as to whether or not it’s most beneficial to focus on 3s and shots around the rim, you most likely don’t want to be shooting more mid-rangers than most teams in the league.
On top of that, the Wizards are the third-worst team in the league in taking shots at the rim. This number is particularly shocking considering the speed and composure John Wall has attacking the rim. Even Bradley Beal is passing up attacking the rim for tough mid-rangers:
The biggest problem with taking so many mid-rangers is when the team is having a slightly below-average shooting night, it shows more on the scoreboard. For instance, the Wizards are averaging a field goal percentage of 46.2 percent on the year. If you look at their record when shooting below that number, they are 6-15. That’s an abysmal record for a team that was a 4-seed last year.
Shooting more 3s allows teams to shoot at a worse percentage but score more points. So when the Wizards have an off night, it becomes more of an uphill battle to beat a team. This is why they’ve struggled to put bad teams like the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets away. If they’re having a slightly off shooting night, they don’t have many other ways to score.
Some of these numbers might stem from their star point guard John Wall. While Wall has unbelievable speed and great passing, he’s shooting a career 32.4 percent from beyond the arc. The team is obviously better off with Wall than any other option they have on the team, but his play style is starting to combat the way the league is going.
It might be the time to say that Bradley Beal is the franchise player for the Washington Wizards. His play style and ability to attack the rim and shoot 3s makes him a bigger threat in the modern NBA than Wall.
Next: 2017-18 Week 15 NBA Power Rankings
The Wizards will continue to have problems winning games they should if they don’t mix up their shot selection. The lack of the ability to get to the rim and shoot 3s will make every game a challenge, and continue to create frustration within the organization.