A shorthanded Washington Wizards team fell 97-86 to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night. Detroit made the most of a 58-35 halftime lead and cruised to victory. Bradley Beal made his first appearance of the Wizards preseason, scoring 10 points in 16 minutes of play.
This follows a 119-114 defeat against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, where the Wizards trailed 38-20 after the opening frame. Through their two preseason games, Washington has been outscored 126-85 in the first half, a 41-point margin.
Scott Brooks says he thought the Wizards “needed to come out with more urgency in the first quarter.” Bradley Beal told reporters that Brooks “laid it on us” after the game. “He definitely got his message across,” Beal said.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) December 18, 2020
In their defense, Washington played without multiple rotation players against Detroit. Russell Westbrook and Davis Bertans were ruled out due to “rest” concerns. Rui Hachimura missed Thursday’s action with an eye injury. However, an incomplete roster does not change the offensive and defensive issues Head Coach Scott Brooks must address prior to the start of the regular season.
Wizards Preseason Defensive Breakdowns
Washington allowed Detroit to shoot nearly 50-percent (49.4) from the field and exactly 40-percent from the three-point line. Although the Pistons failed to reach triple-digit scoring, they slowed down the pace and played an efficient, grind-it-out type of game. To do so, they attacked with a flurry of interior passes to front-court players. None were easier than the above play.
In the sequence, Washington fails to accomplish one of the tenants of team defense: protecting the paint. Thomas Bryant, positioned above the break and guarding Jahlil Okafor, is trailing the play. Isaac Bonga, who is supposed to be covering Sekou Doumbouya, arm-checks Okafor and watches the ball. As four Wizards appear to stand in no-man’s land, Doumbouya rolls unobstructed to the basket. The breakdown occurred because no one bothered to pay attention to the rim.
Washington completed the hard task. They retreated to prevent a Detroit fast break following a missed shot. Sprinting is easier than paying attention. For a team aspiring to improve its near league-worst defense from a season ago, brain farts are unacceptable. A good defense does not forget about the paint.
Cut It Out With Hero-Ball!
NBA fans should anticipate a weird season. If the NFL is any indication, players could move in-and-out of the rotation based on Covid-19 exposures and positive test results. Depth will be crucial to success.
According to Brooks, Westbrook is unlikely to play in -back-to-back games. Someone will have to step up in the all-star’s absence or whatever changes occur in the roster. That being said, it should never come at the expense of offensive fluidity. Work a two-man game! Set a back screen! And please, trust the game plan.
And never force a contested look early in the shot clock without a fast break advantage.
Troy Brown Jr. missed the pictured shot. No surprise there. But the aggression is good! What should happen is that he recognizes that the defense collapses to the level of the ball. A pass to the corner would lead to a reversal to an open Ish Smith on weak-side wing. Moreover, Detroit would be playing catch-up and scrambling to stop a Washington advantage. The possibilities in a drive-and-kick motion sequence are endless, and just about every scenario is better than the result of Brown’s contested prayer.
Wizards Preseason Moves to Detroit… Again
Washington closes out its preseason against Detroit on Saturday. Better luck next time, huh? Hello, Groundhog Day. Hopefully it is no clone of last night’s game.
