Washington Wizards: Grading their 5-game road trip
Defense
The Washington Wizards defense was less than stellar on their road trip and it showed itself in their first game against the Charlotte Hornets. The Wizards gave up a season-high 133 points in their loss to Charlotte on Jan. 17. The Hornets went 15-for-31 from 3-point range in that game.
In games where opponents score more than 120 points, the Wizards are 0-6 this season. They allowed over 120 points in two of their five games on this previous road trip, which isn’t a very good formula for success.
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Some call it playing down to their talent but the truth is, Washington looks ill-prepared mentally when must-win games arrive on the schedule. They allowed an averaged of 117.3 points on defense in their three losses. Pair that with the 98.7 points per game they put up in losses and it’s not hard to see the issue.
The Wizards lack a solid defensive presence on this roster and it’s shown time and time again this season. The acquisition of Ian Mahinmi to add depth in the frontcourt hasn’t quite worked according to plan either. His minutes have continued to decrease as time has gone on.
Losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder are acceptable, but losses to the Hornets or the Dallas Mavericks are not. The Mavericks don’t have a winning record this season (16-34) unless you look at their body of work against the Wizards. Against Washington, they’re 2-0.
The Washington Wizards will need to set a new tone on defense if they hope to make a deep run in this year’s NBA Playoffs. It starts with their frontcourt, which they desperately need to improve.
Grade: C