LeBron James is howling for reinforcements for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Toronto Raptors are sagging after falling in six of their last 10 games. The Boston Celtics are sputtering after losing three straight. The Atlanta Hawks could still become sellers by the trade deadline.
Yes, the Wizards who looked so lost at the season’s start. The Wizards who lost eight of their first 10 games and nine of their first 12, including clunkers against the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat — three of the East’s four worst teams. The Wizards who appeared primed to swiftly and utterly dash dreams of significant improvement from a playoff-less 2016 after luring Coach Scott Brooks to the nation’s capital and sinking bags of cash into a bench upgrade this past offseason. Yes, those Wizards. But maybe these aren’t the same Wizards.
Following that slow start the Wizards have not only stabilized, but significantly improved. Since Dec. 1, the Wizards’ 19-9 record is the best of any team in the Eastern Conference, while ranking sixth in offensive efficiency, 13th in defensive efficiency and sixth in net rating, per NBA.com.
And, after backing up some tough talk and a decision to wear all black to Verizon Center with a comprehensive 123-108 victory in their “rivalry” game against the Boston Celtics Tuesday night, Washington has won seven out of nine overall, holds an NBA-best 14-game home winning streak and sits in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, just three games behind the Raptors for second.
“We’re playing good basketball,” Brooks said. “We’re playing for each other.”
For a franchise and a fan base accustomed to the bottom falling out, often expecting it, this has been a pleasantly surprising reversal of fortune. But can it continue? And is the improvement under Brooks legitimate growth? The evidence suggests the answer to both questions is yes.
The biggest reason, not surprisingly, is the play of Washington’s backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal. When the pair admitted to disliking each other at times on the court in an interview with CSN over the summer it became the perfect offseason story line, one that dominated discussion through the start of training camp. Since the year began, it’s been easy to forget about those comments, mainly because of the immense production they’re giving the Wizards on a nightly basis.
Wall is unquestionably having the best season of his career, posting career highs in virtually every category — including averaging 23 points per game, the first time in his career he’s gone over 20 per game. He’s also matching or surpassing career highs in field goal percentage, free throw percentage, assists, steals, turnover rate, usage rate and player efficiency rating.
The same could be said for Beal — who, most importantly, has also managed to stay healthy, sitting out just four games so far after having three of the first four years of his career dogged by lengthy stints on the sidelines. Like Wall, he’s seen both his usage and efficiency improve at the same time — the most difficult thing a player can do — and that has led to him posting career highs virtually across the board.
In the past, Wall and Beal were derided for saying they were among the NBA’s best backcourts (and deservedly so, at the time). This season, though? Outside of the dual all-star backcourts in Golden State and Toronto, there hasn’t been a better duo than the pairing of Wall and Beal in Washington.
It’s a significant step forward, particularly after last year’s slippage following two straight trips to the Eastern Conference semifinals and the ongoing debate about their partnership this summer after Beal signed a five-year max contract.
Their performance, coupled with significant steps forward from Otto Porter Jr. this season (he’s leading the league in three-point shooting percentage at 45.6 percent), has helped Washington’s starting lineup, which also includes Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat, outscore teams by 10.3 points per 100 possessions while playing close to 800 minutes. That’s the second-highest minute total of any lineup in the league.
That has helped mitigate Washington’s poor production from its bench, one of its two significant weaknesses. The Wizards’ bench has been thoroughly outplayed throughout the season. Other than rookie Tomas Satoransky and second-year forward Kelly Oubre Jr., the Wizards’ second stringers have all been outscored by at least 6.9 points per 100 possessions.
The fact that Ian Mahinmi — who received a four-year, $64 million contract as the team’s top free agent signing this summer — has played in just one game because of recurring knee issues has only exacerbated the Wizards’ bench issues. But that doesn’t absolve a group whose improvement was prioritized by Washington this past offseason.
Washington’s recurring bench issues have contributed to the team’s other bugaboo this season — a dismal road record. While the Wizards have more home wins (19) than any team but the Golden State Warriors, their 6-14 road record is worse than all but one playoff team (the Indiana Pacers, at 6-16) in either conference by a significant margin. And, not surprisingly, the team’s bench players — a group that usually plays worse away from home for any team, no matter how good it is — are dramatically worse away from Verizon Center.
Whether that bench unit can show any signs of improvement — Oubre and Jason Smith have been better in January, which is one positive development — and whether Washington’s starting five, particularly Wall and Beal, can remain healthy will likely determine this team’s fate. But Tuesday’s win showed the Wizards have the ability to take advantage of the sagging teams atop the East — to a degree. Like everyone else in the Eastern Conference, chasing a championship while LeBron James is still lacing up his sneakers is a dream for another time.
But a top-four seed and the chance to advance past the first round of the playoffs for a third time in four years (something that hasn’t happened in close to 40 years)? That remains very much in play. And Washington’s play over the past six weeks shows it’s possible.
