The Washington Wizards are facing a daunting task of making up ground in the Eastern Conference standings all without their two leading scorers, Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans. Getting off to a hot start in their eight-game restart schedule is imperative. Unfortunately, they did not succeed in doing so, dropping their opener to the Phoenix Suns 125-112.
Devin Booker scored a game-high 27 points and DeAndre Ayton added 24 points and 12 rebounds to led Phoenix. Washington was led by Rui Hachimura’s 21 points and a surprising performance by Jerome Robinson, who scored 20 points off the bench.
Defense still Wizards’ Achilles heel
The Wizards entered the restart allowing a league-worst 119.7 points per game and 49% shooting by opponents. Phoenix scored 125 points and shot an eye-popping 52.5% from the field.
Washington’s defense struggled with the dribble penetration of Phoenix all game. Often times, Phoenix ball-handlers were able to break down the Wizards defense. At times, the Wizards over-collapsed leading to wide open shooters on the kick out and cutters to the basket. Other times, the Suns attacked the rim, leading to easier shots. Ayton feasted inside shooting 11-of-14 from the field.
Phoenix had 29 assists on their 42 made field goals. They shot 32 free throws, impressively making 30. Washington must find a way to defend without fouling, stop dribble penetration, and improve their defensive rotation. That will go a long way towards the younger team’s development.
Jerome Robinson stepped up with confidence
On a bright spot, guard Jerome Robinson played with confidence, scoring 20 points off the bench, making 7 of 9 shots, including 4-of-6 from three. Robinson seemingly lost some confidence in his first two seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Wizards coach Scott Brooks has said Robinson is a different type player when he plays with confidence. Robinson played with confidence Friday against the Suns. Scoring 13 points in his first 13 minutes will help with that.
Robinson was the most consistent option for Washington on offense. Still, the Wizards didn’t rely him enough. As hot as Robinson was with his shooting, nine shots wasn’t enough in 32 minutes. That’s not on him, yet, seeing him be efficient with his shooting was encouraging and could go a long way to his development.
Rui Hachimura wasn’t aggressive enough
On the surface of Hachimura’s box score, he had solid numbers — 21 points and eight rebounds. However, on a team without Beal and Bertans, Hachimura is expected to be the primary focus of the offense. He didn’t take enough shots and wasn’t as aggressive as a number one option should be. Two early fouls in the first quarter could have disrupted him some.
Before Friday’s restart opener, Brooks said he wants to see Hachimura improve his three-point shooting, attack the rim off the dribble and make the extra pass when the defense collapses. Against the Suns, Hachimura didn’t attempt a three-point shot, didn’t attack the rim off the dribble and had five turnovers against one assist.
Further more, he only attempted 15 shots. Hachimura is a rookie, but as the leading man on a team with nothing to prove, this is the time for him to be aggressive and assert himself as the guy. He has the green light, he has to be confident in using it.
Not enough from the point guard collectively
Shabazz Napier didn’t look himself. The ball stuck with him at times and he couldn’t connect with his shooting. He was 4-of-13 from the field, including 1-of-5 from three. He also had four turnovers against three assists.
Ish Smith was better off the bench, providing some spark on the offensive end with 17 points while picking up seven of the team’s 18 assists. He had energy that Napier lacked. Phoenix made defensive adjustments to Smith, sealing the three point line and not allowing open shots. As a result, Smith was forced to take a team-high 18 shots from the field.
In contrast, Ricky Rubio controlled the pace for Phoenix. He was assertive when he needed to be, breaking down the Wizards defense to create open opportunities. He finished with 15 points on seven shots, nine assists and shot 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Napier and Smith had 10 assists combined and shot a combined three free throws.
Failed to Gain Ground in Standings
The Wizards are now six games behind the Brooklyn Nets for eighth in the East standings. Washington needs to be within four games of the 8-seed for a chance to play for a spot in the playoffs. Friday presented a perfect opportunity to gain a game as Brooklyn and Orlando Magic played each other as well.
The Magic won, moving 1/2 game ahead of the Nets for seventh. The Nets are decimated with injuries and players opting out of the restart bubble. Thus, the Wizards still have a chance, but being five games back with seven games would have been better, especially with the Nets being their next opponent on Sunday.
Brooklyn has limped into the bubble, but the Wizards aren’t full strength either. Washington has yet to win a game, counting their three exhibition games and time is running out for extending their season.
