Inside The Wizards

Wizards Coach Reveals One Positive Development

The Washington Wizards are showing signs of life.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 10, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva (23) goes to the basket against Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr (20) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Nov 10, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva (23) goes to the basket against Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr (20) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images / Mike Watters-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards have struggled out of the gates, which is typical for a team that is undergoing a rebuild.

The Wizards are focused on building good habits rather than the outcomes of these games, especially early in the season.

Wizards coach Brian Keefe recently pointed out one area in which the team has done a good job with for the first nine games of the season.

“Here’s the positive. We’re making them miss. We’re making opponents miss. We're doing the first part. Part of defense is you’ve got to finish the possession. So, part of that system mentality, gang mentality, multiple people hitting bodies ... That’s an area we’ve got to get better at," Keefe said.

As one of the tallest teams in the league, the Wizards need to use their size to their advantage, especially when crashing the boards. So far this season, the Wizards rank 21st in total rebounds, only a few off before reaching the middle of the pack in the league.

The Wizards have established a competitive edge so far this season, and the next step as a team is to apply it to their rebounding.

"To me, if the ball is in the air, that’s the competitive part of the game," Keefe said. "Who wants it? Who’s going to go get it?"

As a team, the Wizards have allowed the most second chance points per game at 18.6, which is a reflection on the team's ability to make teams miss, but also a need to improve rebounding.

If the Wizards can get better in this area, they might be able to turn some of these losses into wins in the next couple of weeks.

The Wizards are back in action tomorrow night as they take on the San Antonio Spurs.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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