Summary: Washington Wizards through 11 games
By Matthew Laux
Through 11 games, the Washington Wizards currently stand at 4-7. At this time last year, Washington was in the midst of a winless drought without their star point guard John Wall. Although the Wizards may not have the record to show, Washington is much improved from a season ago. Leading the way offensively is the dynamic backcourt of Wall and Bradley Beal. Beal, who’s in just his second season, is averaging 21.2 points per game and has done a fantastic job shooting from the outside. Also, Wall is back to his old tricks getting the Wizard offense in transition and creating opportunities for the rest of the unit to score. Marcin Gortat has proven to be a welcomed addition to the Washington frontcourt as he leads the team with 9.3 rebounds per game.
Nov 19, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal (3) shakes hands with fans after the Wizards
The major weakness for the Wizards, however, has been the poor play on the defensive side of the basketball. Washington has been giving up 102.9 points per game and has struggled to make much-needed stops down the stretch of close games.
A major change between the 2012 and 2013 Wizards has definitely been the leadership positions. Washington appears to be a much more structured ball club with Al Harrington among others assuming the leadership roles. Also, head coach Randy Whittman has done a nice job mixing and matching his players during in game situations. The Wizards have won two consecutive games and will look to extend their winning streak as they will take on the Toronto Raptors tonight in Canada.