Bullets Forever: All Posts by Alan Jenkins"Ain't No Luck"https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48097/BulletsForever-fv.png2020-08-27T16:00:00-04:00https://www.bulletsforever.com/authors/alan-jenkins/rss2020-08-27T16:00:00-04:002020-08-27T16:00:00-04:002019-2020 Wizards player evaluations: Rui Hachimura
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<figcaption>Photo by Ashley Landis - Pool/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Hachimura showed plenty of promise in his rookie season.</p> <p id="4l0kAJ">The Washington Wizards selected <span>Rui Hachimura</span> with the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. At the time, many thought that then-interim General Manager Tommy Sheppard went the safe route in taking Hachimura over potential high-risk high-reward guys like <span>Cam Reddish</span> or <span>Sekou Doumbouya</span>. </p>
<p id="vbPaCD">We won’t know for some years whether this was the right decision or not, but after their respective rookie seasons, the Wizards should be pleased with Hachimura.</p>
<h3 id="uWOjet"><strong>Statistics </strong></h3>
<p id="mqGJH8">Hachimura was the third best scorer for the Wizards as he chipped in for 13.5 points per night on a solid 46.6% shooting. The rookie out of Gonzaga was active on both the offensive and defensive glass — <a href="https://stats.nba.com/leaders/?Scope=Rookies&Season=2019-20&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&StatCategory=REB">6.1 rebounds per game, best among all rookies.</a></p>
<p id="BPhyQN">He was efficient in the painted area and midrange where he knocked down 64% and 40% of his shots respectively. The further Hachimura got from the basket, the steeper the decline.</p>
<h3 id="r3xaip"><strong>Season Highlights</strong></h3>
<p id="s1v5Yh">It wasn’t his highest scoring output of the season, but Hachimura had arguably the best game of the season just four games into his young career when the Wizards took on the <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Houston Rockets</a> at home. </p>
<p id="9iCyFU">Hachimura had it going from the midrange, attacked the hole, and knocked down all three of his three-point attempts en route to 23 points on 9-15 shooting. Hachimura started the night matched up against the physical <span>P.J. Tucker</span> but held his own in a 159-158 up-and-down affair. </p>
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<h3 id="r7jfzS"><strong>Strengths</strong></h3>
<p id="oeu1k3">One thing is clear with Hachimura: he likes doing his damage around the hole and in the midrange. When he catches the ball on the wing, he typically takes one or two dribbles towards the elbow and pulls up for a midrange shot. He was effective from that distance and at both elbows hitting <a href="https://stats.nba.com/player/1629060/shooting/">45.6% from 15-19 feet.</a></p>
<p id="gHwRaJ">As the season went on, Hachimura tried to get to the hole and finish in the painted area more frequently. He had plenty of opportunities at both the small forward and power forward positions and even some center when the Wizards closed games with a small-ball lineup. Hachimura was effective close to the basket, hitting <a href="https://stats.nba.com/player/1629060/shooting/">61% from five feet or closer.</a></p>
<p id="S6XRlB">Lastly, going into the NBA restart, many thought that Hachimura was going to be the Wizards’ go-to scorer. That didn’t quite come to fruition, but he looked more assertive in his decision making and showed improved handle in the bubble. Hopefully that decisiveness and better ball handling will carry over into next season. </p>
<h3 id="t3A6fS"><strong>Weaknesses</strong></h3>
<p id="BhlJUY">Hachimura steadily improved as his rookie campaign went on, but there were bumps in the road. It takes a lot of adjustment both to the speed of the game and from a physicality standpoint going from college to the pros and Hachimura found that out the hard way —especially on the defensive end. At times, he struggled going up against more physical players and he wasn’t always sure of his defensive rotations. Again, nothing too alarming, more of just the learning curve of a rookie getting acclimated to the professional game.</p>
<p id="zjWuyZ">We knew Hachimura’s shot was smooth in the midrange, but the biggest question mark for him was could he knock down three-pointers consistently? He shot just <a href="https://stats.nba.com/player/1629060/">28.7% from three-point range</a> and still has work to do on his long range shot. Just like when he’s pulling up in the midrange, Hachimura often shoots his three-pointers on a line drive with little to no arc — not the best form when shooting from distance. </p>
<p id="ENcAZf">On top of that, it’s apparent he still isn’t comfortable letting it fly from three. More often than not, Rui hesitates prior shooting and it seems he’s thinking too much. In addition, his form changes and he doesn’t have as much elevation on his three-point attempts. </p>
<p id="ClSaUA">No reason to panic as again, he was just a rookie. But if Hachimura’s game is going to flourish, he needs to develop a more consistent three-point shot. </p>
<h3 id="n0cRf5"><strong>Future with the Wizards</strong></h3>
<p id="DZ32M9">Hachimura is here to stay in Washington. While his selection may have seemed anti-climatic on draft day, he turned out to be a rock solid pick for the Wizards. With Washington in the midst of an on-the-fly rebuild and trying to keep good young talent on inexpensive contracts, all signs point to him being in a Wizards uniform for a long time. </p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2020/8/27/21403503/washington-wizards-nba-player-evaluations-rui-hachimuraAlan Jenkins2020-08-25T09:00:00-04:002020-08-25T09:00:00-04:002019-20 Wizards player evaluations: Thomas Bryant
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<figcaption>Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Wizards center had an injury-hampered start, but finished strong.</p> <p id="iNiIj2">During the 2018-19 NBA season, Washington Wizards fans couldn’t get enough of <span>Thomas Bryant</span>. After being picked up off of waivers, he turned into an instant fan favorite. </p>
<p id="o6j4q0">What a difference a year makes.</p>
<p id="bL0Zfw">After a slow start to the 2019-20 NBA season where Bryant was sidelined with some minor injuries, some were over the honeymoon and called for Moritz Wagner to start over <span>Bryant</span>. Fast-forward to the NBA restart and the Bryant vs. Wagner argument has been put to bed. But now, the third-year center is included in trade machines across the Twitterverse. Fans are either all in on Bryant or all out, and there isn’t a whole lot of in-between. </p>
<p id="twuMOZ">Even with the slow start to the year and the rumblings from the fanbase, Bryant managed to take a step forward in his development, specifically on the offensive end of the floor.</p>
<h3 id="AsGnrd"><strong>Statistics </strong></h3>
<p id="WrVe5t"><span>Bryant</span> raised his stats pretty much across the board regardless of how you slice things. He increased his scoring, rebounding, assists, and three-point shooting from this year to last but the biggest jump was seen when comparing him pre-bubble versus in the bubble.</p>
<p id="VwDcp8">For the season, <span>Bryant</span> averaged 13.2 points (career-high) on 63% shooting including shooting a career-best 41% from three-point range. Those numbers are inflated by his performance in the bubble. During the restart, <span>Bryant</span> averaged just over 18.5 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 40% from three-point range. </p>
<p id="gPLTZG">Bryant benefited the most from <span>Bradley Beal</span> and <span>Davis Bertans</span> missing the restart as he found himself with the ball in his hands more often and quickly made himself into the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> primary scorer in the Orlando.</p>
<h3 id="Hfmsev"><strong>Season Highlights </strong></h3>
<p id="sLQoe8">Bryant’s best game of the season came in the second game of the bubble against the <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Brooklyn Nets</a>. Bryant poured in a season-high 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting (4-of-6 from three-point range) to go with 13 rebounds. </p>
<p id="EAEW0H">A not-so-great Brooklyn Nets defense helps, but Bryant turned in his best performance of the season on that August afternoon as he stuck to his strengths — energy, hustle, and being ready to catch and shoot. There was no dribbling into three-pointers or pulling up in the midrange. He was active in the lane, crashed the offensive glass, and was always ready to shoot when he found himself on the perimeter. </p>
<p id="jlLZ4D">Inconsistency with Bryant’s game is what frustrates the fan base. If they could get <em>this</em> version of Bryant more often, folks would be a whole lot happier.</p>
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<h3 id="ME4LVb"><strong>Strengths </strong></h3>
<p id="zgPX2G">The Wizards fanbase became enamored with Bryant during the 2018-19 season primarily for two reasons. First, he hustled and brought the energy every single night. And second, he added a three-point shot to his repertoire. Bryant knocked down <a href="https://stats.nba.com/player/1628418/traditional/">40.7% of his three-point attempts</a> this year making him the <a href="https://stats.nba.com/players/traditional/?sort=FG3_PCT&dir=-1&Season=2019-20&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&PlayerPosition=C&CF=FG3A*GE*2">third most accurate three-point shooting center in the league</a>.</p>
<p id="xyOCCI">Although his numbers dipped a bit, Bryant continued to be a bulldog in the lane as he shot 74.9% on shots five feet or closer and knocked down <a href="https://stats.nba.com/player/1628418/shooting/">58% of his attempts from the floor overall.</a> </p>
<p id="GEgAbT">Lastly, he improved his screens on the ball which allowed for him to pop for a wide open jumper or dive to hole for a dunk or finish around the rim.</p>
<h3 id="jS8VHn"><strong>Weaknesses</strong></h3>
<p id="yrwmZR">Defense. Defense. Defense. </p>
<p id="KldZqt">The biggest beef Wizards fans have with <span>Bryant</span> is that he hasn’t improved defensively since he arrived in Washington. In a classic chicken or egg argument, is Bryant a bad defender because the rest of his teammates are bad defenders or is he individually a bad defender? Or is it a combination of both?</p>
<p id="RavGKY">More often than not, Bryant was overmatched on that end of the floor (especially in the bubble) when he went up against guys like <span>Deandre Ayton</span> and Jarrett Allen. He was no match defensively and was far from a deterrent. His rotations were often a step slow and he’s far from an eraser at the rim when players on the wing get into the painted area. </p>
<p id="B359qv">If Bryant’s game is going to go to the next level, it has to start on the defensive end and based on what we saw from him this year, <span>Thomas Bryant</span> just doesn’t seem interested on that end of the floor.</p>
<h3 id="w0f6tL"><strong>Future with the Wizards</strong></h3>
<p id="jQUZnV">After coming out of nowhere in 2018-2019, Bryant earned himself a three-year $25 million dollar payday this past summer as Washington thought they found their center of the future. </p>
<p id="M5oyQF">As I mentioned before, he’s improved on the offensive end of the floor but his defense is going in the opposite direction which is causing a split about how people feel about Bryant. On any given night, you hear screams for him to get traded only for him to turn in a 20-point 10 rebound performance the next night. </p>
<p id="eKN9mS">It’s clear that the front office has confidence in Bryant and hope that he’s the center of the future for Washington as they gave him that three-year deal. But if the Wizards do make a move this offseason, it’s likely that Bryant would have to be included in the trade to make it work.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2020/8/25/21400254/washington-wizards-player-evaluations-thomas-bryant-scoring-defensive-playAlan Jenkins2020-08-11T23:44:29-04:002020-08-11T23:44:29-04:00Recap: Wizards blown out by Bucks, 126-113
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<figcaption>Photo by Ashley Landis - Pool/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Giannis Antetokounmpo was ejected, but it was still a wire-to -wire loss for the Wizards.</p> <p id="3kiqBl"><span>Rui Hachimura</span> scored a team-high 20 points and <span>Ish Smith</span> added 19 points for Washington off the bench, but it wouldn’t be enough as the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> got run off the floor Tuesday night by the <a href="https://www.brewhoop.com/">Bucks</a>, 126-113. On paper, getting blown out by the Bucks isn’t a big deal. But, the Bucks were without guys like <span>Khris Middleton</span>, <span>Eric Bledsoe</span>, and <span>Wesley Matthews</span> - not to mention <span>Giannis Antetokounmpo</span> who was ejected early in the second quarter.</p>
<p id="cNsftQ">The <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> started this one ice-cold from the field as they missed their first nine field goal attempts and while taking them five and a half minutes to get their first bucket. Luckily for Washington, they were able to hang around early on as the <a href="https://www.brewhoop.com/">Bucks</a> were also chucking up brick after brick as they started the game just 2-11 from the field.</p>
<p id="uD4Q3g">Things would get a bit testy between the two squads early in the second quarter. Just minutes into the period, <span>Antetokounmpo</span> drove hard to the hole but Mo Wagner was there to meet him for a charge and a heavy impact collision. Milwaukee challenged the call. On the floor and during the timeout, Wagner and <span>Antetokounmpo</span> continued to jaw back and forth ending with Giannis head-butting Wagner out of frustration and leading to an ejection.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Giannis headbutt Mo Wagner <a href="https://t.co/KbUQ2nzBKS">pic.twitter.com/KbUQ2nzBKS</a></p>— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1293366573906792448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2020</a>
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<p id="CADgcz">Milwaukee was able to get into a flow and got hot from three-point range as they stretched the lead to 15, 53-38 late in the quarter. <span>Rui Hachimura</span> would hit back-to-back threes for Washington as they trimmed the lead down to 10 and trailed 66-56 at halftime.</p>
<p id="M3BU4F">The Bucks would continue to knock down three-pointers to start the third quarter as the lead ballooned to 19 and they wouldn’t look back. Washington falls 126-113.</p>
<p id="Fo1nVe">The bubble has been a huge disappointment for Washington and their season will come to an end on Thursday afternoon against the <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a>.</p>
<p id="F9Aysy"><strong>Hachimura lets it fly from 3 </strong></p>
<p id="PD5puV">Rui Hachimura was not shy when it came to three-point shooting tonight. The rookie looked confident in his stroke and although they didn’t all go in, he looked much more comfortable and there wasn’t any hesitation when he’d rise up for three.</p>
<p id="FzNSZT">Hachimura ended the night 3-9 from distance.</p>
<p id="uh4apU"><strong>Troy Brown’s first game starting at point guard is a dud </strong></p>
<p id="elmtD2">There was a little bit of buzz once it was announced that <span>Troy Brown Jr.</span> would officially be starting at point guard tonight. But Brown would turn in a dud of a performance as he ended the night with nine points (3-15 shooting), and three assists to go along with six rebounds with most of the damage coming after Milwaukee was in full control.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2020/8/11/21364401/washington-wizards-milwaukee-bucks-nba-recapAlan Jenkins2020-08-10T21:00:00-04:002020-08-10T21:00:00-04:00Preview: Wizards play Bucks Tuesday night
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<figcaption>Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="StEHf4">Washington takes on the Eastern Conference’s best, <a href="https://www.brewhoop.com/">Milwaukee Bucks</a> in their second to last game in the bubble. On paper, this looks like a blowout but it’s likely that the Bucks will rest some of their key guys in this matchup as they’ve already locked up the number one seed iforthe Eastern Conference and will also be playing on the second half of a back-to-back.</p>
<h1 id="dfhux2"><strong>Game Info</strong></h1>
<p id="nWNph3"><strong>When:</strong> Tuesday, August 11 at 9:00 p.m. ET</p>
<p id="BXvg9L"><strong>Where:</strong> Disney World, Orlando, Florida</p>
<p id="EETOjV"><strong>How to watch: </strong>NBC Sports Washington</p>
<h1 id="d3tCb8"><strong>Injury Report</strong></h1>
<p id="kCvpcA"><a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/"><strong>Wizards</strong></a><strong>:</strong> <span>Shabazz Napier</span> (Ankle, Game Time Decision) <span><strong>Garrison Mathews</strong></span> (Personal Reasons, Out)</p>
<p id="fw90FC"><strong>Bucks: </strong><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/players/playerpage/2067655/giannis-antetokounmpo"><strong>Giannis Antetokounmpo</strong></a><strong> </strong>(Mouth, Game Time Decision)</p>
<h1 id="o98kKA"><strong>Pregame notes</strong></h1>
<p id="54hdXv"><strong>Where do the Wizards go from here?</strong></p>
<p id="mYit0A">Coming into the NBA restart, the bar wasn’t set too high for Washington. But even with low expectations, the Wizards have still come up short.</p>
<p id="46iRtz">Whether it’s poor defense, slow rotations, or mental hiccups, all of the things that plagued Washington in the regular season have been on full display only now, they don’t have <span>Bradley Beal</span> or <span>Davis Bertans</span> to bail them out.</p>
<p id="qZA0Eb"><span>Thomas Bryant</span> has had some nice games offensively but defense remains an afterthought. <span>Rui Hachimura</span> has also had some nice games and looks more assertive on the offensive end but then steps out of his comfort zone in trying to post guys up or resisting to let it fly from three-point range even when he’s open.</p>
<p id="P0dY8A">I’m not quite sure how we got here, but all of a sudden, we have even more question marks about this team than we do answers. If the Bucks decide to sit their main players then one could hope the Wizards would be able to edge out a victory otherwise they’d be staring at a potential 0-8 record in the bubble. But if Milwaukee decides to play their regulars in a tune up before the postseason, close your eyes, this could get ugly. </p>
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https://www.bulletsforever.com/2020/8/10/21362621/washington-wizards-milwaukee-bucks-nba-preview-gametime-how-to-watchAlan Jenkins2020-08-02T17:07:10-04:002020-08-02T17:07:10-04:00Recap: Wizards fall apart late in 118-110 loss to Nets
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<figcaption>Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Welp.</p> <p id="mEtvoG"><span>Thomas Bryant</span> poured in a season-high 30 points while <span>Troy Brown Jr.</span> had a near triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists but it wouldn’t be enough as the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> fall to the <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Nets</a>, 118-110 on Sunday afternoon. Washington had no answer for guys like <span>Caris LeVert</span> and <span>Joe Harris</span> who scored 34 and 27 points respectively and all but eliminated Washington’s postseason aspirations in the process.</p>
<p id="yOnYJd">Whether it was scripted or not, Brown found himself with the ball in his hands early on in this game. He looked much more comfortable triggering the offense as he was able to hit floaters in the lane or work the pick-and-roll to perfection with Bryant.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is a work of art. Look at the high ball fake from Troy. <a href="https://t.co/W4pZEf7Mv6">pic.twitter.com/W4pZEf7Mv6</a></p>— Quinton Mayo (@RealQuintonMayo) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealQuintonMayo/status/1289990233367252994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2020</a>
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<p id="lmbZIo">In the second quarter, everyone not named <span>Thomas Bryant</span> for the Wizards was ice cold. However, Brooklyn was never quite able to pull away. Washington was able to keep the deficit manageable and back-to-back three-pointers from Bryant to close the half had this game tied up at 54 going into the break.</p>
<p id="ivKzPA">Washington got some help off of the bench in the third quarter from guys like <span>Jerome Robinson</span>, <span>Ish Smith</span>, and <span>Jerian Grant</span> as the Wizards held a 85-83 lead entering the fourth quarter.</p>
<p id="YTWPNC">The lead seesawed back and forth with the game all tied up at 100 with 5:26 to play – and that’s when it all fell apart for Washington. The Wizards turned to iso ball for a few possessions, forced shots, and couldn’t stop LeVert down the stretch as the Nets would pull away and win this one 118-110.</p>
<p id="gnz5Jj"><strong>The Wizards need </strong><em><strong>this</strong></em><strong> </strong><span><strong>Thomas Bryant</strong></span><strong> on a more consistent basis</strong></p>
<p id="G04UOR"><span>Thomas Bryant</span> has received a bunch of criticism this year. While most of his criticism has come on the defensive end of the floor and how he hasn’t made the next step in his progression, fans have become a little antsy with him on the offensive end of the floor as he’s tried to force things at times.</p>
<p id="Z3qx6J">Today, Bryant stuck to his strengths, and as a result, had a great game. Bryant brought the energy, finished most of his shots around the rim, and only shot the ball from deep if he was wide open and if they were of the catch-and-shoot variety.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Update: THOMAS BRYANT IS NOT DONE. <a href="https://t.co/k9KwPiZtEs">pic.twitter.com/k9KwPiZtEs</a></p>— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1290007638973902850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2020</a>
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<p id="U6jVbv">There was no playing outside of himself today and as a result, turned in a season-high on the offensive end. Inconsistency with Bryant’s game is what frustrates the fan base so much. If they could get <em>this</em> version of Bryant more often, folks would be a whole lot happier.</p>
<p id="up5lO8"><strong>Washington can’t keep Brooklyn out of the paint</strong></p>
<p id="KJkp2b">I know what you’re going to say, “well, Bryant and Wagner aren’t rim protectors so of course Brooklyn had their way.” Not quite.</p>
<p id="cLbJnu">Were Thomas Byrant, Mo Wagner, and <span>Anzejs Pasecniks</span> flawless on the defensive end of the floor? No. But, you can’t put all the blame on them for allowing 52 points in the paint this afternoon.</p>
<p id="Uoj21V">Wing defenders often looked stuck in the mud as guys like <span>Caris LeVert</span>, Joe Harris, and <span>Chris Chiozza</span> (remember him?) easily sliced their way to the hole. It would have helped if the Wizards had a true rim protector to meet the cutters at the rim, but at some point, the perimeter guys have to play defense too.</p>
<p id="5Pqc0U"><strong>Washington’s postseason hopes are all but over</strong></p>
<p id="RuPDYc">If Washington was to have any shot at forcing a play-in game to make the playoffs, they had to win this one. They were looking up at Brooklyn in the standings and after this game; they have to make up three games with just six to play to force a play-in game.</p>
<p id="mJ21wb">You can pretty much stick a fork in Washington’s postseason aspirations.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2020/8/2/21351725/washington-wizards-brooklyn-nets-nba-recapAlan Jenkins2020-08-02T13:30:00-04:002020-08-02T13:30:00-04:00Wizards vs. Nets GameThread
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<img alt="Phoenix Suns v Washington Wizards" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JWpJIgqzGdyMmaZZAx8sgnyDQ7Y=/147x0:2793x1764/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67145562/1227861024.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Kim Klement - Pool/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="VURETV">Washington looks to get in the win column for the first time at the NBA restart when they take on the <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Nets</a> Sunday afternoon. Brooklyn is equally as depleted (if not more) than Washington with guys sitting out due to injury or for personal reasons.</p>
<p id="1QGuVj">Washington better sure things up on the defensive end if they want to come away with the win. Brooklyn doesn’t have anything near the firepower that Phoenix had however that won’t make a difference if the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> don’t commit on the defensive end of the floor.</p>
<p id="dZsdfs">This is Washington’s best chance at a win in the bubble. Let’s hope they can get it done.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2020/8/2/21351651/wizards-vs-nets-gamethreadAlan Jenkins2020-08-01T16:00:00-04:002020-08-01T16:00:00-04:00Preview: Wizards face Nets on Sunday
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<img alt="Brooklyn Nets v Washington Wizards" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LZaCW33C9Cq7LXiAGx8uWPiMRFI=/4x0:4924x3280/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67143379/1209100718.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>This is probably the “easiest” game for the Wizards to win.</p> <p id="ajFoaM">After a not so impressive opening performance against the <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a>, Washington will look for their first win of the restart on Sunday afternoon when they take on the <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Brooklyn Nets</a>.</p>
<p id="XX9Esd">If we’re being honest with ourselves here, this is by far the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> best chance to get in the win column in Orlando. Like the Wizards, Brooklyn is decimated with injuries and guys who’ve opted to sit out of the NBA bubble.</p>
<h1 id="dfhux2"><strong>Game Info</strong></h1>
<p id="nWNph3"><strong>When:</strong> Sunday, August 2 at 2:00 p.m. ET</p>
<p id="BXvg9L"><strong>Where:</strong> Disney World, Orlando, Florida</p>
<p id="EETOjV"><strong>How to watch: </strong>NBC Sports Washington</p>
<h1 id="d3tCb8"><strong>Injury Report</strong></h1>
<p id="kCvpcA"><a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/"><strong>Wizards</strong></a><strong>:</strong> <span>Garrison Mathews</span> (Personal Reasons, Out)</p>
<p id="fw90FC"><strong>Nets: </strong><span>Jamal Crawford</span> (Coach’s Decision, Out)</p>
<h1 id="o98kKA"><strong>Pregame notes</strong></h1>
<p id="54hdXv"><strong>Where do the Wizards go from here?</strong></p>
<p id="zwfP25">Washington was flat out overmatched in their first game. It would have been one thing if they had taken on an upper echelon team from either conference but the fact of the matter is, it was against the lottery bound Phoenix Suns. </p>
<p id="3xAkXB"><span>Rui Hachimura</span> was Washington’s best player on Friday as he scored 21 points to go along with eight rebounds. <span>Jerome Robinson</span>, the ultimate ‘make or miss’ guy was on evidenced has be poured in 20 points off the bench on 7-of-9 shooting. Unfortunately for the Wizards, outside of those two guys, there wasn’t much to get excited about.</p>
<p id="Jkaqc4"><span>Ish Smith</span> did his best to keep Washington in the game but the backup point guard jacking up 18 shots isn’t a winning recipe. If you just look at the box score, <span>Thomas Bryant</span> and <span>Troy Brown Jr.</span>’s stat lines looked ok however <span>Bryant</span> was significantly overmatched by <span>Deandre Ayton</span> while Brown was nowhere to be found for parts of the game. </p>
<p id="R4mi5w">Meanwhile, <span>Shabazz Napier</span>, a guy who some thought might breakout during the restart scored 12 points but did so on 4-of-13 shooting against Phoenix.</p>
<p id="VxfHGO">The type of effort and lack of execution that was on the floor against Phoenix has to be flipped and quickly if the Wizards are going to beat the Nets on Sunday.</p>
<p id="a7z1pT">Also, someone better step up (ideally Brown, <span>Bryant</span>, or Bonga) for the Wizards in this next matchup as <span>Ish Smith</span> and <span>Shabazz Napier</span> combining for 31 shots clearly isn’t a winning formula. If Washington can’t get a win against Brooklyn, there’s a decent chance that they could go winless over their final six games.</p>
<p id="yiTgWq"></p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2020/8/1/21350693/washington-wizards-brookyln-nets-nba-season-restart-preview-gametime-how-to-watch-injury-reportAlan Jenkins2020-07-31T15:00:00-04:002020-07-31T15:00:00-04:00Wizards vs. Suns GameThread
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<img alt="Washington Wizards v Phoenix Suns" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6LUFx8VMhwGNI2aruGGQq8i1bEQ=/0x1022:2456x2659/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67139844/1185090460.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="RtPXUp">The <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> will play their first seeding game against the <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a> Friday afternoon at 4 pm. These teams met just once before the NBA season came to a halt combining for 272 points as Washington knocked off Phoenix 140-132 the night before Thanksgiving.</p>
<p id="pvzWVY">All eyes will be on the youngsters, mainly, <span>Rui Hachimura</span>, <span>Troy Brown Jr.</span>, <span>Thomas Bryant</span>, <span>Isaac Bonga</span>, and Mo Wagner. This game will serve as somewhat of a dress rehearsal for the Wizards as they try to identify which young guys should be on the roster longterm.</p>
<p id="9kggyS">The wait is over, <em>real</em> Wizards basketball is back! </p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2020/7/31/21348759/wizards-vs-suns-gamethreadAlan Jenkins2020-07-30T16:00:00-04:002020-07-30T16:00:00-04:00Preview: Wizards begin seeding games tomorrow vs. PHX!
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<img alt="Washington Wizards v Phoenix Suns" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MiHRiQKBpOv5HtCsbRcDKYvymVs=/0x301:2456x1938/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67134489/1223853762.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Washington’s playoff push officially begins tomorrow!</p> <p id="ajFoaM">After three quick tune up scrimmages, the real games being. Washington will take on the <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a> Friday afternoon in their first seeding game of the restart. These eight games will all be about getting the younger guys more reps but with the skeleton crew the <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Brooklyn Nets</a> are trotting out on the floor, the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> suddenly have an outside shot at sneaking into the playoffs or at the very least, forcing an elimination tournament.</p>
<p id="b7mI5B">The wait is finally over - the NBA isn’t just back! The games now count for real!</p>
<h1 id="dfhux2"><strong>Game Info</strong></h1>
<p id="nWNph3"><strong>When:</strong> Friday, July 31 at 4:00 p.m. ET</p>
<p id="BXvg9L"><strong>Where:</strong> Disney World, Orlando</p>
<p id="EETOjV"><strong>How to watch: </strong>NBC Sports Washington</p>
<h1 id="d3tCb8"><strong>Injury Report</strong></h1>
<p id="kCvpcA"><a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/"><strong>Wizards</strong></a><strong>:</strong> <span><strong>Bradley Beal</strong></span> (Shoulder, Out), <span><strong>Davis Bertans</strong></span> (Personal Reasons, Out), <span><strong>John Wall</strong></span> (Achilles, Out)</p>
<p id="fw90FC"><a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/"><strong>Suns</strong></a><strong>:</strong> <span>Kelly Oubre Jr.</span> (Knee, Expected to be out), <span>Jalen Lecque</span> (Personal Reasons, Out), <span>Dario Saric</span> (Ankle, Game-time Decision), <span>Aron Baynes</span> (Illness, Game-time Decision)</p>
<h1 id="o98kKA"><strong>Pregame notes</strong></h1>
<p id="54hdXv"><strong>Who’s the Wizards go-to player right now?</strong></p>
<p id="Dz1mTA"><span>Thomas Bryant</span> hasn’t gotten to the point where he can create his own shot yet. <span>Ish Smith</span> is much more comfortable and much more efficient as a facilitator than he is go-to scorer. Meanwhile, some thought <span>Shabazz Napier</span> would be the one guy on this roster who could benefit the most from the restart in taking on more of a leadership role.</p>
<p id="sSODOu">Right now, Rui Hachimura seems to be the leading candidate as the Wizards’ go-to guy. He didn’t take any monumental leaps forward (no one did) or anything like that, but in these three short scrimmages, has looked much more assertive, decisive, and more comfortable with the ball in his hands. </p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Crafty pass from Rui Hachimura with Jared Dudley all over him to set up Isaac Bonga for two. <a href="https://t.co/GSp9BGyI7U">pic.twitter.com/GSp9BGyI7U</a></p>— Chase Hughes (@ChaseHughesNBCS) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChaseHughesNBCS/status/1287832474777772039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2020</a>
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<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p id="UJeGfA">Not to mention, Hachimura looked a lot more comfortable shooting the ball further from the hole. If the Wizards are going to somehow sneak into the playoffs or at least force a play-in tournament, they’re going to need multiple guys to step up on a nightly basis to get wins. But based on what we’ve seen so far through the scrimmages, Hachimura has shown the most improvements between now and March and just might be asserting himself as the leader and go-to guy of this team over the next eight games.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2020/7/30/21347848/washington-wizards-phoenix-suns-nba-preview-gametime-how-to-watch-injury-reportAlan Jenkins2020-07-21T17:00:00-04:002020-07-21T17:00:00-04:00Preview: Wizards face Nuggets for first scrimmage
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<img alt="2020 NBA Restart - All Access Practice" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iWwtiR-WuvJb5zbGHGt84a9xhXY=/0x245:3600x2645/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67088456/1227111402.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>NBA games are about to resume again!</p> <p id="V2GwOJ">The last time we saw the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Washington Wizards</a> was on March 10th when they knocked off the <a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">New York Knicks</a>. The NBA pressed paused shortly thereafter due to the COVID-19 pandemic and most thought that would be it for Washington’s season (and maybe the NBA). </p>
<p id="5hjQOk">Fast forward 4.5 very long months and here we are. The NBA season restart is in sight but first, Washington will take on the <a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Denver Nuggets</a> in their first tune up before the regular season resumes. </p>
<h1 id="dfhux2"><strong>Game Info</strong></h1>
<p id="nWNph3"><strong>When:</strong> Wednesday, July 22 at 3:30 p.m. ET</p>
<p id="BXvg9L"><strong>Where:</strong> Disney World, Orlando</p>
<p id="EETOjV"><strong>How to watch: </strong>NBC Sports Washington</p>
<h1 id="d3tCb8"><strong>Injury Report</strong></h1>
<p id="kCvpcA"><a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/"><strong>Wizards</strong></a><strong>:</strong> <span>Bradley Beal</span> (Shoulder, Out), <span>Davis Bertans</span> (Personal Reasons, Out), <span><strong>John Wall</strong></span> (Achilles, Out)</p>
<p id="fw90FC"><a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/">Nuggets</a>: <span>Michael Porter Jr.</span> (Undisclosed, Game Time Decision), <span>Torrey Craig</span> (Undisclosed, Game Time Decision), <span>Monte Morris</span> (Undisclosed, Game Time Decision), <span>PJ Dozier</span> (Undisclosed, Game Time Decision), <span>Gary Harris</span> (Undisclosed, Game Time Decision)</p>
<h1 id="o98kKA"><strong>Pregame notes</strong></h1>
<p id="54hdXv"><strong>What should we even watch for?</strong></p>
<p id="kNXEuJ">With <span>Bradley Beal</span> and <span>Davis Bertans</span> sidelined for the restart, that leaves <span>Ish Smith</span> (?) as the leader and arguably best player on this team’s active roster. Aside from <span>Smith</span>, <span>Shabazz Napier</span>, and <span>Ian Mahinmi</span>, the roster is filled with young players who have presumably eight more opportunities to show that they’re taking steps in the right direction and should be a part of this team longterm.</p>
<p id="fd72zC">All eyes will be on guys like <span>Troy Brown Jr.</span>, <span>Rui Hachimura</span>, <span>Thomas Bryant</span>, <span>Isaac Bonga</span>, and Mo Wagner as Washington resumes their season. Going into this year, it was all about building for the future. Just because the NBA paused for 4.5 months, that doesn’t change anything for the Wizards as the young guys will see significant minutes and will have plenty of opportunities now that Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans are sidelined. </p>
<p id="vWZ1QL">Yes, the Wizards have an outside shot of forcing a play-in tournament or even making the playoffs, but let’s not lose sight of the franchise’s longterm vision entering this year. It’ll be very important that the younger guys get more reps and that we continue to see that progress is still being made. </p>
<p id="BMQJKr">No more “what if’s” or hypotheticals to talk about over and over again, we’ll have real Wizards basketball to watch and it starts on Wednesday afternoon.</p>
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https://www.bulletsforever.com/2020/7/21/21332422/washington-wizards-denver-nuggets-nba-scrimmage-preview-gametime-how-to-watchAlan Jenkins