GT #11: Mavs @ Bullets 7 PM (MSN/980 AM)

[trast66]

Worst of both worlds, we stink but the young guys not getting shots. I’m OK losing but not with Kuzma, Poole, and Shamet taking all the shots. This on Winger more than Wes.

[tontoz]

Can someone pass the ball to Bilal, please

No

[tontoz]

Worst of both worlds, we stink but the young guys not getting shots. I’m OK losing but not with Kuzma, Poole, and Shamet taking all the shots. This on Winger more than Wes.

Keep in mind this is the first year of the rebuild so this should be somewhat expected.

[tontoz]

Deni and Bilal combined to shoot 5-6 from 3.

[arusinov]

Deni and Bilal combined to shoot 5-6 from 3.

And the missed one was half court heave

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

Poo and Kuz shot a combined 12-35.

The rest of the team?

31-54

[keynote]

12 FGA is a lot for Shamet.

[J-Ves]

Deni and Bilal both have have TS% at or north of .60 for the season

Deni continues to have a career year. Usage is up, High 3pt%, way more shots at the rim, TOs are down, assists are up

Both guys figure to be high impact defensive players, even if right now its hard to see it due to the team around them defending so poorly

It's kind of depressing how much losing these two will have to endure before the Wiz are competitive again. That build-around piece remains elusive

[9 and 20]

What's the record for most games in a season where you give up 100 points by the end of third quarter? We gunning for all 82 games? Wes Jr making some history, one way or another.

[nate33]

Deni was +1 while the rest of the starters were -20.

Even if you ignore his +6 stint late in the 4th quarter when the game was out of reach, the team was only -5 through 3 quarters in the minutes with Deni on the floor. Having a guy who cares about defense matters.

[tontoz]

Luka's jumper doesn't get blocked very often but Bilal got him here. Look how far away he was when he jumped

[penbeast0]

For those who have watched all the game (I haven'), how good or bad has Kuzma's defense been? Is it adequate like last year or has his defensive effort dropped off this year?

[payitforward]

I didn't watch this game, though maybe I will just to watch what Dereck Lively did in 24 minutes.

[tontoz]

For those who have watched all the game (I haven'), how good or bad has Kuzma's defense been? Is it adequate like last year or has his defensive effort dropped off this year?

Honestly I don't pay any attention to Kuzmas defense. He is what he is, a decent role player with a good attitude and friendly contract.

On D I am paying more attention to Deni/BC and kispert to a lesser extent. I expect those guys to be here a long time.

[nate33]

I didn't watch this game, though maybe I will just to watch what Dereck Lively did in 24 minutes.

He caught a lot of lob dunks from Luka because the Wizards were embarrassingly bad at handling the high screen. They never seemed to be in sync on when to switch, when to show and cover, and when to double. It was an absolute disaster. Some of the worst defense I've ever seen. Inevitably, it would lead to Luka dribbling toward the rim and Lively rim diving alongside him, with only Gafford, or sometimes a shorter guard to stop the two of them. It was a alley-oop fest, play after play after play.

Lively wasn't especially good. He was just doing what he was supposed to be doing. The one thing that impressed me a little bit was that he was competing on the offensive glass. He has a handful of offensive boards and a few more tap outs that he probably didn't get credit for.