Why Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma Are To Blame For Tournament Loss
The Wizards find themselves in trouble as they have now fallen to 0-2 for the NBA In Season Tournament. Last night’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets really put a damper on things. The first loss came from the Miami Heat. Losing at home in their first in season tournament game at Capital One Arena really feels like a surprise to everyone.
When games matter most, great teams tend to step up and play to a higher standard. They keep the main thing the main thing and the main thing is winning. Stars tend to elevate their game to the next level. It’s almost like a switch goes off and they turn into the player they need to be to do whatever it takes to win. We’ve seen that from Jimmy Butler, LeBron James, Steph Curry and even back in the day from guys like Chauncey Billups and those Detroit Piston teams and Rajon Rondo as well. At this moment, the Washington Wizards find themselves in a bit of a whole already.
With last night’s loss, the Wizards find themselves looking for much needed answers. How did they let this game slip away from them? What seems to be the problem or issue with this team, especially in games where they matter most such as the In Season NBA Tournament? Who is to blame for this loss?
The leaders of this team dropped the ball in this one. Both Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole could have and should have done more in this game. There were two alarming statlines for them. They both were the only starters for the Wizards to shoot under 50% from the field in this game. They simply have to find ways to be more effective scoring the basketball. They have to make the game easier for themselves and find ways to get to the free throw line a little bit more as they both only attempted one free throw in the game. The second alarming statline is the fact that they both were the only two starters to not record a single block or steal in the game. They didn’t take care of business on the defensive end. As a leader, you have to set the tone for your unit and lead by example. They both failed to do so. The Wizards have to look themselves in the mirrow and ask themselves what can they do to be better next time in tournament play as they will be preparing to play the New York Knicks on November 17th.
