Inside The Wizards

Wizards Have No Choice But to Fix Defense

The Washington Wizards have been the worst team on defense this season.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 8, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (3) drives to the basket and Washington Wizards guard Johnny Davis (1) defends in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Dec 8, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (3) drives to the basket and Washington Wizards guard Johnny Davis (1) defends in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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At 3-19, the Washington Wizards probably aren't competing for anything of worth this season, but they are building for the future.

Even though wins and losses won't completely measure the growth of the team's development, figuring out how to improve is key for the team.

ESPN insider Ohm Youngmisuk wrote about the need for the Wizards to improve on the defensive end of the floor.

"The Wizards have a lot of issues after another throwaway season, but the biggest on-court matters revolve around their defense. Outside of its stunning win over Denver on Saturday when it held the Nuggets to 113 points, Washington has given up 121 or more points in five of its past seven games -- all losses," Youngmisuk writes.

In their past two defeats, the Wizards have allowed 137 and 140 points each to the Mavericks and Grizzlies. Everyone knows this is a rebuilding season for Washington, but certainly management wants to see some incremental improvements to remain competitive," he continued.

Teams have been scoring against the Wizards like clockwork, and it's a big reason why the Wizards have knocked themselves out of games before the end of the first half. By going down early, the Wizards are creating less competitive possessions, and therefore fewer reps on paper that have a ton of meaning.

That isn't to say the reps where the Wizards are down 20+ points don't matter, but they could learn more from being competitive in these games as opposed to not being competitive.

The league's top teams have all shown to be one of the better ones on defense, so that has to be the first step for the Wizards in pursuit to building a winner.

The Wizards will get back to action tomorrow night when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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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