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Washington Wizards: 3 takeaways from 2018-19 season opener

By Jerran Anderson

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 18: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat and John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards look on during the game on October 18, 2018 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 18: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat and John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards look on during the game on October 18, 2018 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images
Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images /

The Washington Wizards opened the 2018-19 regular season with a loss to the Miami Heat, raising more concerns for a team that hoped to silence their critics.

The Washington Wizards opened the 2018-19 season against the Miami Heat on Thursday night, starting the year off with 113-112 loss. In a game that saw 21 lead changes and 19 ties, the Heat came out on top in the end thanks to a gritty performance.

Miami guard Josh Richardson finished with a game-high 28 points for the visitors, while John Wall finished with 26 points, nine assists and three blocks. His backcourt mate Bradley Beal finished with 20 points, but struggled to find a rhythm while battling through foul trouble for much of the game.

The biggest takeaway from Washington’s loss was rebounding, or lack thereof. The Wizards certainly missed the presence of big man Dwight Howard in the paint. They were out-rebounded 55-40 in the game, allowing the Heat to own them on the glass.

Shooting more 3-pointers was another big key entering the regular season for the Wizards. The Heat went 12-for-35 (34.3 percent) from the 3-point arc while the home team went 7-for-26 (26.9 percent) from deep. Richardson made a game-high five 3-pointers while Rodney McGruder was right behind him with three makes.

The newcomers and the bench stepped up, but it looks like it might be another rollercoaster season in the making for the Wizards. Here’s a look at three takeaways from Thursday night’s loss.

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