Let’s Recap the Wizards’ First Preseason Games
It was nice to see the Washington Wizards on NBA TV, facing the reigning champion Golden State Warriors in Japan. The Wizards lost both games by nine points (96-87 on September 30 and 104-95 on October 2), but despite their losses, the team showed a lot of promise. I would go as far as to argue that the Wizards are in decent shape going into the regular season, just based on what I observed from these past two games.
Starting with the highlights:
The Kuzma-Beal-Porzingis “Big Three” could be promising, and I’ll go as far as to say that I may have been wrong about Kristaps Porzingis (C) last season. The chemistry between Porzingis and Beal (SG) was something people equally looked forward to and worried about, but they seemed to be in sync during the first game, and I expect that chemistry to improve the longer they work together. Kuz, the third piece of the Big Three, can also shoot efficiently when he wants to and can make an offensive statement. He’s known for fashion statements off the court, but dunking at the beginning of the first game is a good way to make an on-court statement.
Trading for Monte Morris and Will Barton was a good move, as was signing Delon Wright and Taj Gibson. Gibson is going to make an impact off the bench with his versatility at forward and center. His three-point form is pretty decent, and he moves relatively quickly. Barton, Morris, and Wright also have a lot of momentum and shoot well, finally providing a sense of stability the Wizards needed in a point guard.
Rui Hachimura is himself a highlight. Hachimura had a double-double in the second game, was consistently aggressive on offense, and I think the support of Japanese fans sparked something in him. He’s scored more points in past regular season games, and, going into the 2022-23 season, I want to see Hachimura combine his confidence and scoring ability, whether he starts or comes from the bench.
Rui Hachimura (8) and Jordan Poole (3) on court at the Saitama Super Arena | Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images
Jordan Schakel is a model rookie. This isn’t Schakel’s rookie season, he’s on a two-way contract with the Wizards’ G-League affiliate and was drafted in 2021, but he’s still a model for the team’s rookies. Schakel put in good work, especially during the second game, scoring 10 points in his 16 minutes of play. He’s also pretty crafty offensively and seems to be a confident player. I hope to see more from him this season.
However, as much as I would like to live in a world of complete optimism and focus on only the Wizards’ successes, the team made a lot of mistakes that are too hard to ignore.
Here are, for lack of a better word, the lowlights:
The Wizards gave up a 14-point lead in the second game. While it’s true that Golden State, especially James Wiseman, had impressive performances and was able to get past the Wizards’ defense...the Wizards’ defense continues to lack. I noticed a lot of standing around the court and little to no speed on defense. I’d like to see Porzingis use his height and wingspan on defense as much as on offense and more confident defense from the team.
Johnny Davis (G) doesn’t feel NBA-ready. Maybe it was just that he had too much time on the floor in both of these games, but Davis didn’t do much. Coach Wes Unseld Jr. apparently wanted to test Davis’ mettle in a difficult PG situation, but I’m not sure throwing Davis into the deep end was the right decision just yet. Davis is coming off an underwhelming Summer League performance, and fans lack confidence in him, but maybe he just needs more development. I wonder if he should have gone the G-League route the way Schakel did.
Injuries are also a major concern. Corey Kispert (SG) sprained his left ankle after four minutes on the floor in the second game and will be out for four-to-six weeks. Kispert’s three-point shot has been a staple of his career on the Wizards, and his threes and offensive speed will be missed while he’s out.
Corey Kispert (24) facing James Wiseman (33) | Photo retrieved from singleplayergolf.com
Granted, Kispert isn’t the only player who can shoot threes, but his speed is essential to his style. Deni Avdija (F) has also not returned to the floor as he continues to rehab a groin injury he got at Eurobasket. Johnny Davis is also managing knee tendinitis. Thank goodness Bradley Beal is back because the Wizards can’t afford to be lacking in shooting guards going into the season.
