{"id":949,"date":"2016-10-04T08:00:45","date_gmt":"2016-10-04T12:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=949"},"modified":"2016-10-03T23:09:41","modified_gmt":"2016-10-04T03:09:41","slug":"keys-washington-wizards-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2016\/10\/04\/keys-washington-wizards-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Key Factors to a Successful Washington Wizards Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the 2016-17\u00a0NBA<\/strong>\u00a0season, headlines will be dominated by\u00a0<\/em>Kevin Durant<\/a><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0and the\u00a0Golden State Warriors<\/strong>\u00a0on a daily basis. However, having a super-team doesn\u2019t guarantee a championship; just look at the 2012-13\u00a0Los Angeles Lakers<\/strong>. Everything can change and anything can happen in the NBA. A team can implode, the injury bug could strike, or a team simply might not play to its potential. In this\u00a0Last Word On Pro Basketball<\/strong>\u00a0series, we\u2019ll break down which two key factors will determine the fate of each team in the upcoming season.<\/em><\/p>\n

In this edition, we will take a look at the Washington Wizards<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Two Key Factors to a Successful Washington Wizards Season<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Following a season in which the Wizards badly under-performed relative to expectations, the front office decided to “run it back” – for the most part. In come Ian Mahinmi<\/a><\/strong>, Trey Burke<\/a><\/strong>, Andrew Nicholson<\/a><\/strong>, and head coach\u00a0Scott Brooks<\/a><\/strong>. Out go Jared Dudley<\/a><\/strong>, Nene Hilario<\/a><\/strong>, Ramon Sessions<\/a><\/strong>, and now-former head coach Randy Wittman<\/strong>. After the disappointing season for Washington, we will see if the Wizards\u00a0are able to rebound from that disappointment and\u00a0jump back into the Eastern Conference<\/strong>\u00a0playoff race.<\/p>\n

First Key:\u00a0Bradley Beal Must Make the “Leap”<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Player A: 79 games played, 18.2\u00a0PPG, 3.8\u00a0RPG, 4.2\u00a0APG, 44.4\u00a0FG%, 39.6\u00a03FG%, 16.8 PER<\/p>\n

Player B: 55\u00a0GP, 17.4\u00a0PPG, 3.4\u00a0RPG, 2.9\u00a0APG, 44.9\u00a0FG%, 38.7\u00a03FG%, 15.5PER<\/p>\n

If you had to guess, who would you think is the player who got a five-year, $172 million\u00a0max extension this off-season, and who is the player who is slated to make $15 million this year? Player A is the perpetually-undervalued Milwaukee Bucks<\/strong>\u00a0swingman Khris Middleton<\/a> <\/strong>and Player B is Washington Wizards shooting guard\u00a0Bradley Beal<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Although those numbers don’t tell the whole story, if you asked the casual basketball fan who he thought was a better player, 70 to 80\u00a0percent\u00a0of people would say Beal. That is because Beal’s upside has been talked about constantly since he entered the league in 2012. But Beal is now headed into his fifth season in the NBA, and it is put-up or shut-up time for the former Florida Gators\u00a0<\/strong>star.<\/p>\n

Improvements<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The first step in the process will be staying on\u00a0the court. Beal has been hampered with lingering injuries that have forced him to miss 46 games over the last\u00a0two seasons. It hasn’t just been one injury either, as the Washington Post<\/strong> cites<\/a>:\u00a0“[A\u00a0stress injury to his right fibula] has limited Beal in each of his four seasons, as have other maladies such as a concussion, broken nose, and sprained right ankle.”<\/p>\n

If Beal\u00a0can stay off the injury report, the next step will be developing his game further. We all know how great of an outside shooter he is (hovering around 40\u00a0percent\u00a0from deep in each of his four seasons), but now is the time to build off of\u00a0that. His play-making ability needs\u00a0to take the next step. Beal’s\u00a0usage rate was 25\u00a0percent last season, even with a ball dominant guard in\u00a0John Wall<\/a><\/strong> next to him, yet his assist rate was just 15\u00a0percent. If that number took a five\u00a0percent\u00a0leap, that could open things up for Washington’s\u00a0offense even more.<\/p>\n

The other improvement that needs to be made is on the defensive end of the floor. Having a guard like Wall next to him prevents plenty of mistakes, but if Beal could become an above average defender, that would help the whole Wizards system.<\/p>\n

Second Key: Role Players Must Step Up<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Outside of Wall and Marcin Gortat<\/a><\/strong>, this Wizards team doesn’t have too many reliable options. Beal is solid, but as mentioned before, he needs to be more than that. Other than those three, there is room for improvement across the roster.<\/p>\n

Otto Porter’s Development<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Coming into last season, Otto Porter<\/a><\/strong> had some big shoes to fill after a memorable Paul Pierce<\/a><\/strong> playoff run. Porter\u00a0performed decently in every aspect of the game. But if the “Almost Bullets” want to renew their playoff hopes, Porter\u00a0needs to be more productive. He scored 12 points\u00a0per\u00a0game; he needs to\u00a0improve\u00a0that to at least 15. Porter taking\u00a0that next step defensively would also\u00a0give Brooks more options as the new Wizards coach. Porter\u00a0shot the three at 36.9\u00a0percent last season. If he adds another percentage point or two, it’d open up more lanes for Wall to slice his way inside. Porter\u00a0was one of the more productive players on the team at +2.7 in terms of\u00a0plus-minus per 100 possessions, so the team does benefit from his play, but they still need more from him.<\/p>\n

The Addition of Mahinmi<\/strong><\/h3>\n

After signing a four-year, $64 million\u00a0deal this off-season, Ian Mahinmi enters the fold. He’s looking to follow up on his best NBA\u00a0season, in which\u00a0he was a member of the Indiana Pacers<\/strong>. In Indiana, he anchored the defense and ranked as the\u00a014th most\u00a0productive\u00a0“roll man” per 100 possessions. He will bring that presence to the second unit, which needs a solid\u00a0big man. However,\u00a0the key for Mahinmi will be the ability to stay on the floor through foul trouble, as well as not\u00a0getting intentionally fouled due to his free throw struggles.<\/p>\n

Other Options<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Other potential difference makers include Andrew Nicholson, Trey Burke, and Tomas Satoransky<\/a><\/strong>. Nicholson, formerly a member of the Orlando Magic<\/strong>, is a long stretch four who will fit nicely next to Mahinmi. However, he\u00a0needs to improve his decision-making on the offensive end. Burke, acquired in a trade this off-season, comes in as an experienced backup point guard. Unfortunately, he\u00a0has struggled with his long-range jumper and must improve. Finally, Satoransky, a\u00a02012 second-round pick, comes over from Spain<\/strong> and should excite Wizards fans. He is a 6’5″ point guard with a good three-point shot (he shot 39 percent one\u00a0season ago). He’s also a solid play-maker (top ten\u00a0in assists on six occasions overseas). Not to mention, he did this:<\/p>\n