Washington Wizards: Salvaging the season begins on the defensive end

Can the Washington Wizards right the ship?

Bradley Beal has been lighting up scoreboards around the league since the 2020-21 NBA season began a few weeks ago. Problem is, he is the best player on one of the worst teams in the NBA as the Washington Wizards have gotten off to a horrendous start with a 3-8 record.

John Wall was traded for Russell Westbrook in the offseason and it appeared that he and Beal would form one of the best backcourt duos in the NBA, but the team as a whole has struggled.

Two out of the three wins the Wizards have had without Westbrook and it remains to be seen whether he can create some chemistry with Beal and the rest of the team. Beal has been the only sure thing as he has been a scoring machine as he more than likely is playing with a huge chip on his shoulder after being left off the all-star team last season.

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Beal is currently leading the NBA in points per game as he is scoring 34.9 a contest, is currently 11th in minutes played with 35.9, and leads the league in field goals made with 121. Beal posted a career-high against the Philadelphia 76ers but his efforts were in vain as the Wizards ended up losing that game.

One positive that the Wizards can take from their slow start is that there is still time to right the ship but Westbrook must be more efficient and take better shots as he is currently shooting 37.8 percent from the field. His rebounding and assists totals are where they should be but he is going to have to increase his scoring average and take more initiative.

Right now, Beal is the most prolific scorer in the league and there isn’t anything he can’t do on the offensive end. He has improved his ability to finish at the rim, he has always been a great shooter and is willing to take the clutch shots whenever his team needs a basket. We can expect to see more 40, 50, and 60 point games from Beal due to him being a volume scorer and elite level shooter, but will the Wizards be able to translate that production into wins and not let it go to waste?

Hopefully, whenever Westbrook returns to action, he will provide some relief and take some of the pressure off of Beal and help him carry this team into contention and get some W’s in the win column. Westbrook is still one of the top point guards in the league and is still a great facilitator with the heart of a giant who gives 110 percent on every single play.

There are just small facets of his game that could be fine-tuned. The Wizards need major improvement in two main areas; leadership and defense. Both Beal and Westbrook could share leadership duties equally. While Westbrook is a natural-born leader and has lead numerous teams he has played on, he is great at engaging his teammates and making them feel important.

Beal has the capability to lead but there will be times where he will have to make it a point of emphasis to be more vocal as the Wizards roster is full of young players with very limited experience.

The main thing the Wizards must improve is their defense as they rank dead-last in the NBA in points allowed, eighth-worst in rebounds allowed, fourth-worst in field goals allowed, second-worst in blocked shots, third-worst in total field goals allowed, third-worst in opponent’s field goal percentage allowed, and they own the fourth-worst overall defensive rating out of all 30 teams.

It doesn’t matter how many points the Wizards score; until the defense improves, it won’t matter how many 60-point games Beal has as they will be pointless. If Beal and Westbrook can lead the Wizards and get them back into contention in the Eastern Conference, and if first-year general manager Tommy Sheppard can make a trade for a shot blocker or someone to protect the point, then this team may just be able to salvage their season while it’s still early enough.