The Athletic had an article discussing a nine category evaluation of teams when they play game: three offensive (perimeter, interior and control), three defensive (perimeter, interior, and pressure), and three auxiliary (special teams, coaching and intangibles).
- Perimeter offense: Generating free throws, midrange effectiveness, and 3-point shooting.
- Interior offense: Getting to the paint frequently, finishing inside consistently, and crashing offensive glass.
- Control: Not just how well a team moves the basketball but also how well a team protects it.
- Pressure: How well a defense can force turnovers, both steals and dead-ball changes of possession.
- Interior defense: Paint scoring prevention, rim protection, defensive rebounding.
- Perimeter defense: Defending without fouling, being able to contest midrange shots, and preventing 3s.
- "Basketball special teams": Fast-break scoring differential and free-throw percentage.
They assessed Wizards' perimeter offense as best unit but it only got a C grade. They assessed Wizards' pressure as worst unit with a D grade ("Wizards have been one of the least aggressive defenses ... under WUJ"; I would have given it to interior defense over pressure since I like what Wright, Avdija, Coulibaly and others can add to forcing turnovers. Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons actually got a D and F grade on interior defense so they view them as worse than Wizards in that category.
What do you think are the best and worst units of Washington?
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