[ad_1]
WASHINGTON – One by one, the Washington Wizards took their spots in front of their stalls, answering questions after Friday's disturbing 134-111 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. There was an expectation of fireworks, possibly a public rebuke from John Wall or maybe Bradley Beal, but the Wizards were decidedly on message, and shockingly in step.
It's maybe the most together they've looked all season.
There's Beal's locker on one side, in the middle. There's Dwight Howard across from him, in the corner. Kelly Oubre Jr. is by Howard, Austin Rivers from, Otto Porter Jr. in the corner nearby. They're all here, separated by a few inches of mahogany-stained wood panels. But after a fifth straight to drop them to 1-7, they could not feel more apart.
Washington star Bradley Beal said he would not hit the panic button after the fight. Wizards were booed off the court at Capital One Arena as they lost their fourth game in a row to drop to 1-7.
Why one top-50 player thinks Steph Curry is one of the greatest stories in history, plus the intel on the Wizards' disarray.
1 Related
Beal dismissed the idea of hitting the panic button. He affirmed his commitment to fight.
"I do not love where we are, but I love where we are, and I'll never give up on this team," was one of Beal's lines.
On the other side, Wall stubbornly answered questions, sticking with the approach that the Wizards need to compete and play defense, eventually dipping his toe into the chemistry and effort elements. Howard went with "mindset," saying they need to keep a positive outlook and just keep working. Rivers came back to the top of the line when it came to the team's hapless defense.
"Yeah it could be more than that," he said. "But do you want to speak?"
Drama around the Wizards is nothing new. They spend a large part of last season openly sniping one another in the media, with Wall and Marcin Gortat's relationship uncomfortable to the point of being more than working acquaintances; LA Clippers this past offseason in exchange for Rivers.
There was a lot of discussion about Wall and Beal's partnership, and a new mix in the locker room. Add in a cringe-inducing 1-7 start to the season, which has an average of 18.6 points, and an eventual splintering feels inevitable.
"Coach Scott Brooks said," We have a lot of confidence in our guys staying together. "We're going to start playing better together."
| Rank | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points allowed per game | 123.9 | Last |
| Off. eff. | 104.4 | 26th |
| Def. eff. | 115.9 | 28th |
| Off. reb. pct. | 21.3 | Last |
| 3s allowed per game | 13.3 | Last |
| >> Through Nov. 2 | ||
Brooks pointed to having Howard – who was solid in his Wizards debut – and Friday 's game was the first time the team has had its full complement this season. But if that's the assumption, to get Howard and Markieff Morris out there to fix it all, the Wizards might not be all that close to turning any pages. The issues seem deeper rooted than that, an unspoken internal disconnect the apparent source.
"I've been with the group for over two years," Brooks said. "We're going to stick together, we're going to have a tough patch, we're going to have some stretches where maybe it's [games] 30 through 35 you're going to lose three or four in a row. Unfortunately, we've lost some games we wish we could not change it. "
1:02
Dwight Howard shoots 6-of-7 for 13 points in the first quarter.
The mood in the Wizards' room could be viewed one of two ways:
A) It was confident, almost resilient, the attitude of a team, with a 2-8 start two seasons gold
B) Alarming indifference.
They were booed to an uncomfortable level at multiple points of the game, but it was never mentioned postgame. Howard still found it in a joke about looking for a little slow in his first game of the season, resembling form a great Wes Unseld franchise. Beal got dressed and joked with staffers and friends in the middle of the room, Wall never once reacted to any idea of frustration or panic.
The reality is, it's a bit bleak for the Wizards. In an Eastern Conference that has finally opened the door to LeBron James' departure, the Wizards have the comfort of stability and star power. They are better "on paper," but of course, paper can be shredded or thrown away. They have a backcourt locked into mega-contracts for the long term, and a roster of $ 8 million over the luxury tax. Outside of a drastic move that includes trading one of their franchise players, there is really no other great option than just playing better.
"What are we going to do about it?" Beal said. "Just fold up early in the year and give up on the year or fight back and try to compete like we know we're capable of doing?"
The next two weeks for the Wizards could make or break their current incarnation. They play the New York Knicks on Sunday, then have a three-game trip against the Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat, then five straight home games featuring matchups against the Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets. Brooks went out of his way to say the team is sticking together and he's not worried about the crumbling locker room. The players did not point fingers, except themselves.
There's still time to salvage the season, but time might be running out of salvaging their direction.
Source link
