{"id":17275,"date":"2018-10-07T08:00:01","date_gmt":"2018-10-07T12:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnba.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=17275"},"modified":"2018-10-05T14:14:49","modified_gmt":"2018-10-05T18:14:49","slug":"countdown-to-nba-tip-off-washington-wizards-season-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2018\/10\/07\/countdown-to-nba-tip-off-washington-wizards-season-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Countdown to NBA Tip-Off: Washington Wizards Season Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Washington Wizards<\/a> went into the 2017-18 season with high expectations for their core group. <\/span>John Wall<\/a><\/b>, <\/span>Bradley Beal<\/a><\/b>, <\/span>Otto Porter Jr<\/a><\/b>, and <\/span>Marcin Gortat<\/a><\/b> had seemed poised to take the \u201cnext step\u201d for years now, and some predicted<\/a> the Washington Wizards would be as high as a three or four seed come playoff time. But injuries and locker room tensions headlined the Wizards lackluster campaign and they ultimately ended the regular season with a 43-39 record, good for 8<\/span>th<\/span> in the Eastern Conference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After a quick exit from the playoffs at the hands of the Toronto Raptors<\/a> and calls for better bigs and a deeper bench from Point Guard John Wall, the Wizards went out and gave their leading man exactly what he asked for. Washington GM <\/span>Ernie Grunfeld<\/a><\/b> stayed busy in the offseason, retooling the cast around his all-star backcourt. But will the new look Wizards have enough to compete amongst the best in the Eastern Conference? We\u2019ll see. Here’s our 2018-19 Washington Wizards Season Preview.<\/span><\/p>\n

Countdown to NBA Tip-Off: Washington Wizards Season Preview<\/strong><\/h1>\n

What Worked Last Season<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Quite simply, not much worked for the Wizards last year. A disappointing 43-39 was the result of an offense that lacked creativity and a defense that didn\u2019t seem all too concerned with getting stops. Generally speaking, the Wizards were thoroughly average across the board last season: 13<\/span>th<\/span> in point per game, 14<\/span>th<\/span> in offensive rebounds per game; 15<\/span>th<\/span> in opponents PPG and 15<\/span>th<\/span> in defensive rebounds per game.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the Wizards did rank amongst the league\u2019s best in 3point%. Led by Bradley Beal and Otto Porter, Washington finished the season 3rd in overall shooting percentage from behind the arc. Only the <\/span>Golden State Warriors<\/a> and <\/span>Boston Celtics<\/a> finished with higher three-point shooting percentage. However, in a league that continues to place more and more value on the three-point shot, the Wizards ranked amongst the bottom third in the NBA in three-point attempts (23<\/span>rd<\/span>) and makes (21<\/span>st<\/span>). Below the arc, however, the Wizards were a lot busier. They finished among the top 10 in both 2-point attempts and makes. That\u2019s simply not a winning formula. The Wizards have the talent to shoot the 3 at a higher clip. They should. <\/span><\/p>\n

Individually, there were some standouts amongst the Wizards last season. Bradley Beal had an impressive <\/a>season with his third straight season with an effective FG percentage over 50, second straight season scoring 20-plus\u00a0ppg and first season as an All-Star. John Wall was also selected as an Eastern Conference All-Star, although he was forced to miss the game due to an injury. <\/span><\/p>\n

Second-year guard <\/span>Tomas Satoransky<\/a><\/b> showed flashes off the bench and as a starter in John Wall\u2019s absence. After Wall\u2019s injury, Satoransky was a catalyst in helping the Wizards win five straight, and 10 of their first 13 games without Wall, including wins over playoff teams such as <\/span>Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a>,<\/span> Toronto Raptors, <\/span>Indiana Pacers<\/a>, <\/span>Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a>, <\/span>Philadelphia 76ers<\/a>, and <\/span>Milwaukee Bucks<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the <\/span>Ewing Theory<\/span><\/a> didn\u2019t quite hold up and the Wizards stumbled down the stretch, losing 14 of their final 21 games, securing the East\u2019s final playoff spot during a season-ending loss to the <\/span>Orlando Magic<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

What Needs Improvement<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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John Wall: "It's up to our front office to add the pieces they think we need to make our team better and more complete." pic.twitter.com\/SN2idp8Vg7<\/a><\/p>\n

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 28, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n