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Another NBA season is here. With the Wizards opening up on Thursday against the Heat, we took an in-depth look on storylines, the team’s key contributors, schedule notes, and more.
Three Points
1. Offensive philosophy shifts. The Wizards are going to play faster and focus on shooting more 3-pointers and layups and dunks this season. The team is transitioning its offensive philosophy to a more efficient scoring system, one used by several teams around the league. The focus will be on shot selection and eliminating bad midrange shots, though open midrange shots and shots late in the shot clock are seemingly unavoidable. Players like Bradley Beal, Austin Rivers, Otto Porter Jr., and others will thrive in this system.
2. More depth than ever before in the Wall-Beal era? Both John Wall and Bradley Beal have said this is the deepest team they’ve had during their time in D.C. Of course, they’ve cautioned to say that having a deep team on paper is different from having a great team. It will take time for this group to build chemistry and perform to their highest potential, but if they do click, this team is a dark horse to go far in the playoffs. Scott Brooks will be the man in charge of making it all work.
3. Top 10 defense. The Wizards want to be a top 10 defense in the league. In order to accomplish that, the team will need to commit to playing high-effort and nonstop on-ball defense. Communication on switches will need to be direct and loud, and players will need to stick to rotations. Washington is planning to switch ‘1’ through ‘4’ this season when Dwight Howard or Ian Mahinmi is in the game, but have all players switch when they go small. Brooks has emphasized defense since he arrived in the nation’s capital, and wants his team to commit to their defensive principles.
Starting Five
PG John Wall
The five-time All-Star comes into the 2018-19 season feeling healthy after missing 41 games last season. Wall worked on getting stronger over the summer while improving his game, with new moves off the dribble and looking to improve upon his career-high 37.1% 3-point shooting. The Wall-Star is poised to average double-digit points and assists for the fourth time in his career. With the Wizards planning to play faster, they’re going to have more possessions and more scoring opportunities, which is right up Wall’s alley. John Wall is the heart and soul of this team, and his leadership will be key down the stretch of the season.
SG Bradley Beal
Fresh off his first career All-Star selection, Bradley Beal has truly blossomed into one of the East’s best guards. He improved his playmaking and scoring at the rim, and remains one of the NBA’s top shooters. His ability to drive off the dribble, use of finesse moves to get open shots, and improved passing have been well-documented. Beal should build on his 22.6 points per game last season and score even more in his seventh NBA season. One of the most underrated two-way guards in the league, Beal is hungry to lead the Wizards to a deep playoff run and get over the hump.
SF Otto Porter Jr.
Otto Porter Jr.’s season ended abruptly in the playoffs last year with a lower leg injury, and he worked all summer to rehab and get ready for his sixth NBA season. Porter, who finished top five in the NBA in 3-point shooting for the second straight season, focused on defense this summer and bulked up. He watched film of Kawhi Leonard and others to become a better on-ball defender. Expect Porter to score even more than his 14.7 points per game last season and take more shots with the Wizards planning on shooting more 3-pointers.
PF Keef Morris
Coming off of sports hernia surgery, the birth of his daughter, and another off the court issue last summer, Keef Morris did not appear in a game until the team’s eighth game of the season in 2017-18. This time around, Morris is prepared and in great shape to get ready for the season. He averaged only 9.4 field goal attempts last season, his lowest since his second year in the league, which caused his scoring average to fall. Still, he made a career-high 36.7% from deep and was an effective shooter for Scott Brooks. Morris will play the '5' oftentimes when the Wizards go to small-ball, and he will be a versatile piece in the team's plans.
C Dwight Howard
The biggest name acquisition of the offseason for Washington, Dwight Howard brings a big presence down low on both ends of the court. Howard, who missed all of the preseason, returned to practice in full on Monday. His status for Thursday is up in the air, but this is about precaution; the Wizards want him to be available for the long haul. When healthy, Howard is going to provide John Wall with a solid pick-and-roll option and the Wizards hope Howard can continue to be a rim protector.
Key Reserves
G Tomas Satoransky
The 6’7” Czech guard started 30 games for John Wall last season, and filled in admirably. He plays at a much different pace and style than Wall, but Satoransky’s growing game and versatility defensively will give him playing time. His 52.3% shooting overall and eye-popping 46.5% from beyond the arc is the kind of efficiency Scott Brooks is looking for.
G Austin Rivers
Acquired in a trade from the Clippers, Austin Rivers gives the Wizards another ballhandler, playmaker, and shooter off the bench. Rivers averaged a career-high 15.6 points and 4.0 assists per game on 37.8% shooting from beyond the arc. He’s a proven veteran in this league and provides even more depth at guard.
F Kelly Oubre Jr.
Entering his fourth season and still only 22 years old, Kelly Oubre Jr. will look to build upon his 11.8 points per game off the bench last season. Now surrounded with more depth in the second unit, Oubre should be able to thrive. Still, for Oubre, his most important attributes are defense and energy.
F Jeff Green
After making it to the NBA Finals with the Cavaliers last season, Jeff Green brings versatility and experience to the Wizards. Green can score in a variety of ways and gives the Wizards a ton of lineup flexibility. He averaged double-digits off the bench for Cleveland last season and his Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals was one of the most important performances of the playoffs.
C Ian Mahinmi
Ian Mahinmi looked as healthy as he has as a Washington Wizard during the 2018 preseason. With Dwight Howard’s status in question to start the season, the Wizards would turn to Mahinmi to provide pick-and-roll offense and provide his strong rim protection.
F Troy Brown Jr.
Rookie Troy Brown Jr. showed in Summer League and the team's final preseason game what he can bring: playmaking, defense, finishing around the rim, and passing beyond his years. Still only 19, it's unlikely Brown will crack the rotation early in the season, but keep an eye on him as the year goes on.
Schedule Stretches to Watch
10/18 vs. MIA, 10/20 vs. TOR, 10/22 @ POR, and 10/24 @ GSW
The Wizards will open the 2018-19 regular season schedule at home before heading out West. The Heat will be in town as the Wizards play at home to tip off a season for the second straight year. Washington will also be one of the first teams to get a look at Kawhi Leonard (if he’s healthy) on the Raptors. These two teams played 10 times in the regular season and playoffs last year, and they’re always in for a great matchup with several All-Stars on the court.
With their longest road trip of the season right off the bat, the Wizards will head to Portland to take on another talented backcourt in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Portland is never an easy place to play, though the Wizards have had success against the Blazers in recent years. After that, the Wizards continue their five-game road trip in Oakland to battle the defending champion Warriors. DeMarcus Cousins will almost certainly not be in uniform for a game this early in the schedule, but the two teams will have seven All-Stars combined in their starting lineups.
These first four games are a tough way to begin the season, but the Wizards cannot let four games get them too high or too low. Washington will play the Kings, Clippers, and Grizzlies on the rest of the road trip before heading home to take on the Thunder on November 2.
11/23 @ TOR, 11/24 vs. NOP, 11/26 vs. HOU, 11/28 @ NOP, and 11/30 @ PHI
Talk about a brutal Thanksgiving schedule. The day after Turkey Day, the Wizards will play in Toronto and then head home after the game to take on the Pelicans on the second night of a back-to-back. That homestand will continue against the Rockets in what will be a spirited battle of the backcourts between John Wall and Bradley Beal vs. Chris Paul and James Harden.
Thereafter, the Wizards head to New Orleans and Philadelphia for about as tough of a two-game road trip as they come. The Wizards will take on the Pelicans twice in a week and play the Sixers for the first of three this season. Playing against Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid three times in one week will not be easy. Five games against playoff teams in the stretch of basically one week will test the Wizards in the early part of the season.
The entire month of January
Right after hosting the Hawks on January 2, the Wizards head on the road for a three-game road trip against the Heat, Thunder, and Sixers. That game in Philadelphia is the first part of a back-to-back home-and-away series with the Sixers. Then, the Wizards will host the Bucks and Raptors – both expected to be at the top of the East this season – before heading to London for their game against the Knicks.
After a week or so in London and doing the responsibilities that come with that, the Wizards return to take on the Pistons for MLK Day and host the Warriors later that week. Washington then heads to Orlando to play the Magic on the second night of a back-to-back and begin a three-game road trip. The end of the road trip is also the first night of a back-to-back. The month of January is going to be a brutal stretch and really test this team, but it’s better to get these types of months out of the way sooner rather than later.
2/9 @ CHI, 2/11 @ DET, and 2/13 @ TOR
The Wizards will play a three-game road trip leading up to the All-Star break against three teams in the East. It’s always important to play good basketball heading into the break, and the Wizards will have a challenge on their hands against these teams. Not only will they be on the road most of February, but the All-Star break can is a full week long this season – the Wizards don’t play again after the break until Friday, February 22, a day after they’ve usually played.
March homestand and then second West coast trip
The Wizards will play nine games at home from March 3 to March 23, including matchups against the Timberwolves, Jazz, Nuggets, and Heat. After the 23rd, the Wizards will head out West for the second time, taking on the Lakers, Suns, Jazz, and Nuggets. It will be four games in six days for the Wizards, a test at the end of the season. Still, Washington actually plays 12 of its final 20 games at home this season, much different from the end of last season.
X-Factor
Keef Morris. There are plenty of candidates for this projection, including but not limited to Otto Porter Jr., Dwight Howard, and basically the entire second unit. However, Morris, who was hobbled with injuries and issues off the court heading into last season, should be ready to roll this year. The Wizards are planning to use plentiful small lineups featuring Morris at the ‘5’ and they’re expecting big things out of him. Since Morris arrived, it seems that the Wizards go as he goes in terms of scoring, rebounding, defense, and toughness.
Final Prediction
47 wins and fifth behind Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee.