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The Washington Wizards opened their pre-season schedule with a 124-121 loss to the New York Knicks in overtime Monday night.
Here are five observations of the game …
All three
Head Coach Scott Brooks stated that his team's goal was to score more than three shots from the time he took office with the Wizards. They can really take that directive to heart.
The Wizards fired 8-for-38 out of three for the game and made 21 attempts at half-time. The Wizards averaged 26.5 per game last season.
Brooks took more extreme measures in practice to encourage all three and discourage midrange riders with a weighted point system that includes four pointers for the three shots fired from the corner. Although there are many aspects of mid-range, the focus on outdoor shooting was clear.
Now they have not shot well from three. As a team, they recorded a rate of 21.1%. Bradley Beal was 1 for 7, for example. Otto Porter Jr., however, went 3-for-4 long-range and had 13 points in 12 minutes. The guy simply did the work in the department of efficiency. However, he left in the locker room with an apparent injury.
The Wizards are so serious about shooting more than three Ian Mahinmi practice. And, of course, he made a third in the third quarter on Monday. Mahinmi has never done three in the NBA's regular season game, but that could change this year.
The second unit is a work in progress
Although Mahinmi was replaced by the center Dwight Howard to treat a back injury, the Wizards watched their second renovated unit against the Knicks, whose Austin Rivers and Jeff Green.
The first returns were well mixed. The ball tended to stop at Rivers and Kelly Oubre Jr. There have been a few times where Oubre shot the ball or drove when one more pass would have found an open guy. And Rivers has a quick trigger with his shot and attacking the rim.
Green has had a series of post-up looks, including some against Kevin Knox rookie Knicks, but could not cash systematically. He finished 3-in-8 on the field.
Oubre went 5-in-14, Tomas Satoransky 4 for 6 and 3 for 7 rivers. Although they all had their moments, there were not many open looks created by the bench.
The initial struggles are expected from a group that integrates two new dynamic players in Rivers and Green.
Rivers is a spark of energy
Rivers did not pull well, but its impact was obvious. Beyond the wall, Rivers could be the fastest player on wizards. He can reach the edge at will and can be a nuisance for the defense.
The figures are not good for Rivers as a defender, but he said at his introductory press conference that he had pledged to speak. He swore to be an uncompromising presence on the perimeter and this seemed to be the case in his first match with the Wizards.
Rivers made some dubious offensive decisions while he was trying to force the ball into traffic, but his ability to break the dribble defense is a nice addition to the bench. It's an element that Jodie Meeks can not provide and something that Wizards missed last season.
Satoransky is a smooth operator with the ball and can spread the ground. Oubre can hit three and is a force in transition. But Rivers does not have the tight neck either.
Rivers also had the chance to play in a three-guard formation with Wall and Beal, and Brooks went to this formation early with the first substitution of the match. Brooks will probably experience this look a lot in the pre-season and early in the regular season.
Morris does not like Robinson
Knicks rookie Mitchell Robinson fell into the project because there were questions about his maturity and attitude. A veteran did not delay in welcoming him into the league.
The magicians get things done Markieff Morris with Robinson and was ejected before half-time. He and Robinson first spoke at the halfway point and had to be separated. Morris was then beaten for continuing to talk about garbage and hitting Robinson on the block while keeping it on the other end.
Technology Two tech. ? Keef pic.twitter.com/AtFVdX9q6o
– NBC Sports Assistants (@NBCSWizards) October 2, 2018
Morris has the gift of getting the wrath of referees. He was fifth in the NBA in technique last season and fourth in ejections.
Morris finished with zero points on the 0-for-4 field shot and 0-in-3 out of 3. Perhaps these shooting woes contributed to his frustration.
Brown to the leader
The magicians played the rookie Troy Brown Jr. many in the Las Vegas Summer League and this role continued Monday night. Although he is the size and skill of a small, traditional striker, Brown has the ability to play with the ball and pass. At least, in the long run it does.
It will be interesting to see if the Wizards really trust Brown, who is only 19 years old, to lead their offensive to games that matter. He's a first-round pick and they want to find a way to get him to the ground, but he does not have a ton of high-level experience at the station. If he ended up taking a quick guard, it could be bad news for Satoransky, who is now on the verge of becoming Wall's main backup.
What has marked the beginning of Brown's pre-season is his dribbling confidence. Whether he is committing the offense or playing ball, he has shown no hesitation in putting it on the ground. This trait may evolve over time as it adapts to the NBA's defenses, but it's certainly a sign of his confidence in him.
Brown also had no problem shooting outside the shots, although this shot is one of his biggest weaknesses at this stage. Brown shot 2 to 9 on the field and 0 to 3 out of three.
Brown's best pieces were his passes. He had several passes that you do not often see a purchase of his size. In addition, he had seven rebounds, again demonstrating an ability to grab the boards that is rare for his size and position.
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