NBA: How the bottom 7 in the East can make a return to the playoffs
By Ethan Becker
11. Washington Wizards: Luck and Defense
What’s weird about the Washington Wizards is, at the start of this season, almost nobody expected that they’d be on a list like this. But, one horrible injury after another for star point guard John Wall, and here they sit near the bottom of the conference.
The Wizards were on of the best offensive teams in the league, being in or near the top 10 teams in the league in every category expect for three-point percentage. In fact, the Wizards found themselves ranked 14th overall in offensive rating. The problem? They were the third worst defensive team in the league. They only found themselves beating were the Cavs and the Suns. That means the Knicks beat them, making the Wizards just about the only thing the Knicks beat this year.
One reason for the Wizards struggle on defense was the absence of Wall, who was injured for the season after a fall in his home. Wall, who has an Achilles injury, is not sure if he’ll be able to play at all next season. The Wizards need to focus on finding some good defensive anchors this summer, as well as hoping that Wall’s recovery is speedy and he’ll be able to play come October.