WASHINGTON - John Wall and the Washington Wizards entered the 2017-18 NBA season with great expectations. They weren't just penciled in for a deep post-season run, they were supposed to be serious contenders with enough talent to challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference title.
But after 10 games, the team is an average 5-5 and just 7th overall in the Eastern Conference.
Wonk, wonk, wonk.
Bradley Beal is on a tear, shooting 47 percent from the field to lead his team with 25.4 points and 4.6 rebounds a contest. All-Star John Wall is being John Wall, an all-around stud averaging 20.8 points, 10.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds a game, while Otto Porter is contributing a solid 17.7 points per.
Somehow, the Big 3's effort isn't enough to carry Washington over the .500 mark. So what is wrong with these Wizards?
They are very inconsistent, some nights they're really good and some nights they are awful. For instance, they beat a very good Philadelphia 76ers upcoming Sixers team 120-115 and then lost to a rebuilding Lakers 102-99. Championship contending teams should be able to beat any team, good or bad.
Defense is another worry. Through 10 games the Wizards are surrendering 109.6 points per game to the opposition and they allow their foes to shoot 47.5 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from 3-point range.
After beating the Raptors in Toronto, 107-96, last November 5, the Wizards were poised to take off. But they fell to Dallas two nights later, 113-99 at home. They couldn't stop Harrison Barnes who had 31 points.
Just like that the Wizards came back from contender to just ordinary.
Comments
Share your thoughts on the above article by Paolo Catapang.