Inside The Wizards

Washington Wizards Defense is Drowning in a (Jordan) Poole

It has been a really tough year for Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole and his defense is dragging the entire team down.

Gage Sheets

Washington Wizards Defense is Drowning in a (Jordan) Poole
Washington Wizards Defense is Drowning in a (Jordan) Poole /
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Somebody throw the Washington Wizards a lifesaving buoy because they're drowning in the deep end of the (Jordan) Poole.

The Wizards defense has allowed 140 points or more seven times this season after last night's 39-point thrashing from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

READ MORE: Wizards vs. Cavaliers Recap

With a 121.8 defensive rating now, Washington is the worst defense in the NBA.

Even worse, the defense we've seen this season is the worst in franchise history and if it stays above 119.8 it could become the worst in all of NBA history.

There is plenty of blame to be thrown around between schemes, roster construction and the plain old fact the Wizards are tanking, but one player in particular has stood out over and over again.

You guessed it, it's Washington guard Jordan Poole.

Poole has never been known for his defense, but this isn't simply about his skill, it's more of what could be looked at as a lack of effort.

People love to point out the guard's theatrics on offense, but it is his defense that is some of the worst in the NBA.

A lot of times you see Poole simply not trying to fight over screens, not getting hands up on shooters, being late in transition defense or not giving any effort to box guys out.

And in the game against the Cavaliers, it was downright terrible.

Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) brings the ball up court against the Brooklyn Nets during the third quarter at Barclays Center.
Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) brings the ball up court against the Brooklyn Nets during the third quarter at Barclays Center / Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Against Cleveland, with just over two minutes left on the clock in the first quarter, Wizards center Mike Muscala played great defense on Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell causing him to miss a layup in transition.

Considering that this team doesn't normally play great defense, especially inside, when it does that needs to be capitalized on.

In what's become typical fashion, however, Poole stood there and watched Cleveland center Jarrett Allen fly in and get the easy put-back slam.

Taking a deep dive into the numbers, Poole has the worst defensive win share, -0.009, in the NBA of players averaging over 25 minutes of playing time, this is a much larger problem than a couple of plays here or there.

Using Cleaning the Glass On/Off numbers for Poole we can see how much better Washington is with him off the court.

The Wizards have been +7.6 points better on defense without Poole on the court.

Report: Washington Wizards Guard Jordan Poole May Not Be Part of Teams' Future Plans

Opponents also have a 58.5 effective field goal percentage allowing 126.6 points per 100 possessions with the guard on the floor, which according to Cleaning the Glass is the worst in the NBA.

Washington needs him to be better defensively because he is the only lifeguard available to save this team from drowning, and right now, he is forgetting he's even at the Pool(e).

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GAGE SHEETS

Gage is entering his first season covering the Washington Wizards and brings a lifetime of passion for sports with him. He is a veteran of the United States Navy and a proud husband and father of two. You can follow or reach out to Gage on X @SheetsG23

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