The Washington Wizards have been one of the early surprises of the 2021-22 NBA season. Although they’ve been shaky of late, the Wizards are still 14-10, which is good for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
The early returns of Wes Unseld Jr. taking over as head coach and the front office turning over half the roster are positives for the Wizards. They’re not solely reliant on Bradley Beal and more importantly have a winning record with him as the offensive focal point, which is something the team hasn’t finished with since the 2017-18 season.
Here’s why the Wizards are legitimate contenders in the East.
Washington Wizards have offensive ammunition for days
Ironically, Beal is in the midst of his worst scoring output in six years. Why hasn’t it been a detriment for the Wizards to date? They have a plethora of scorers.
Washington has proven and/or capable scorers across the board. Spencer Dinwiddie has a knack for scoring off the dribble while being a composed ball-handler. Kyle Kuzma is a scrappy scorer. Montrezl Harrell finishes with authority in the paint and hits the boards at a considerable rate.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope can stretch the floor and be a reliable defender. Davis Bertans and rookie Corey Kispert are outside snipers. Daniel Gafford is money in the paint. Deni Avdija can run the floor. Raul Neto and Aaron Holiday are quick off the dribble. There are scorers and shooters on this team wherever you look.
Washington’s offensive depth makes them built to withstand injuries. By the way, Rui Hachimura, a vital aspect of the team’s offense across his two years in the NBA, is yet to play this season. His eventual return to the floor makes the Wizards all the more dangerous on that end of the floor.
- Bradley Beal stats (2021-22): 21.9 points, 6.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 42.8/26.4/86.2
As for Beal, this is one of the elite scorers in the sport: he’s going to get back on track. The former Gator is too talented of a scorer to not play better. His mere presence makes it easier for others to score around him, as Beal commands the bulk of defensive attention. Heck, Dinwiddie is capable of scoring more on a nightly basis. The two guards can be a prolific backcourt. In the meantime, the team is winning, so it’s not a pressing issue.
Washington Wizards have a sturdy defense under Wes Unseld Jr.
As loaded and capable as the Wizards’ offense is, defense is the key ingredient to the team’s success this season.
Washington is ninth in the NBA in opponent field goal rate (44.0 percent) and opponent three-point shooting (33.4 percent) and 12th in opponent points per game (106.0). While those rankings aren’t “elite,” they speak to how the Wizards are one of the better defensive teams in the sport.
Furthermore, the Wizards have gone from being one of the worst defensive teams in the sport to a team that’s going to be giving opponents a run for their money. For perspective, the Wizards were no better than 29th in opponent points per game in the three seasons prior to 2021-22.
Washington is defending well in isolation while not allowing opponents to go off from the perimeter or feast in the paint. The Wizards getting stops on defense is allowing their offense to operate on its own terms. It also buys their offense some time to become more efficient, particularly in the backcourt.
The Wizards are essentially sacrificing some of their scoring outputs of years past to become a sturdy defensive unit, and it’s paying off. They’re a well-rounded team with upside. Imagine what this team looks like when their offense matches the play of its defense: they could be as good as any team in their conference.
Washington Wizards can capitalize on precarious Eastern Conference
The entire NBA has been bizarre this season. Sticking with the East, the Wizards have the chance to capitalize on the volatile nature of frequent and newfound playoff participants.
The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are off to a yawning start for their standards. Teams with championship aspirations like the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers are without a featured part of their starting five. The Chicago Bulls are raw. Abrupt playoff teams like the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks are off to turbulent starts. One could argue that the Miami Heat have been underwhelming.
Are the modern-day Washington Wizards a proven product? They are not. With that said, they have a roster of veterans who are hungry to make headway in the playoffs, as well as young players who can only improve. That’s a compelling mix.
The Wizards are playing and look different under Unseld. They’re balanced, a well-oiled machine and have every reason to operate like a contender at the NBA trade deadline. Washington has been in this competitive enough to compete for the playoffs but not bad enough to rebuild mode for three years. Now they’re in a let’s make a run at the NBA Finals phase.
The Washington Wizards are firmly in the race to win the East.