The NBA season has been exciting, competitive, and filled with drama. With over half of the season over, many teams are looking to claim a playoff spot and others are trying to not lose their position.
One of the teams that have underperformed includes the Washington Wizards. They have a lot of great pieces to thrive in the league, but it has not equated to wins for the team. Many thought that they were going to do well this year, but they have been just a decent team at best.
What is the issue?
The main issue with the Wizards is the notion that they have arrived and the thought that they can compete against anyone and beat any opponent without playing hard.
This year, they have been giving up huge leads and losing games to subpar teams. Chemistry has been an issue for them.
Otto Porter Jr. has been a big disappointment this year, and, for the money he is getting paid he should be performing better. Porter is not able to create his own shot or get separation from defenders. He only shoots from the receiving end. Markieff Morris is also a capable scorer and can be doing more for the team in scoring and rebounding.
Bradley Beal has shown up this season more than anyone else on the team. He has been able to get to the basket and shoot well from mid-range and the three-point line. Kelly Oubre Jr. has also developed from his rookie year and is shooting the ball better.
The other issue with the Wizards is that they do not have a bench. During the offseason, they spent a lot of money keeping the same team together and not signing anyone new. The offseason was expensive for them as they re-signed John Wall and overpaid Otto Porter, instead of getting a bench or signing new players.
Recent news
The devasting news for the Wizards is that John Wall will be having knee surgery and will be out for about 6-8 weeks per an article by ESPN. Wall is the most important player on the team in terms of running plays for the team, driving to the rim and creating for teammates, along with scoring layups and mid-range jumpers, and scoring from the three-point line.
The article states that "Washington Wizards All-Star point guard John Wall will undergo an arthroscopic debridement procedure on his left knee Wednesday, the team announced Tuesday." Not only will he be out for a lengthy amount of time, he will also be missing the All-Star Game. LeBron James recruited Wall to be on his team in the game.
Looking at John Wall, the audience and sports commentators could tell that Wall has been steps slower and has not had the same explosiveness that we are used to seeing. He also has not shot as well from the floor as a result. The article states that "Wall banged knees 10 games into the season in a game against Dallas and has been dealing with issues since." Wall has been dealing with the injury and has tried to play through it to no avail.
The team currently sits at a record of 27-22 and in the 6th spot in the Eastern Conference. With the injury to Wall, they can easily fall out of the playoffs with the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, and the Detriot Pistons knocking on the door. The Pistons recently were able to acquire Blake Griffin to make a playoff push. The injury to Wall and the culture of the team will continue to hurt the Wizards and could even knock them out of the playoffs this year. Yes, the Wizards are in trouble.
