Another tough week for the Wizards

Weekly Recap + Monumental Wall Ban

AuthorAuthor

Ali Zaaza & Michael Shagoury
November 19, 2023

Standing the East: 14th

Win/Loss Record: 2 / 10

This week…

  • Weekly Recap: Wizards go 0-3 this week

  • 4 Wizards stats that may surprise you

  • Wizards Weekly Headlines

  • Upcoming Schedule

Weekly Recap

Wizards blow another lead against Toronto losing 107-111

This has got to be the worst loss of the season thus far. The Wizards were up 23 points in the 3rd quarter and had a 16 point lead with 7:25 left in the game after a layup by Bilal Coulibaly. Unfortunately that was the last field goal the Wizards would score and the Raptors went on a 21-1 run to win the game.

Kuzma had a season high 34 points followed by Daniel Gafford with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks. Poole also had 14 points but on 37.5% shooting and 4 turnovers. Coulibaly had a solid game with 10 points, 3 steals, 3 assists and 1 block.

This play from the game (below) has been making the rounds on social because it really does epitomize where we are at as a franchise. Things will get better but for now this guys pretty much sums it up…

@nodunksinc

Kyle Kuzma joins a long list of classic Wizards brain farts 🥴 #nba #hoops #basketball #bloopers #nbabloopers #shaqtinafool #kylekuzma #kuz... See more

Wizards fall to Mavericks at home 117-130

This game wasn’t much better but at least it was not another blown lead. The Wizards trailed by double digits for most of the game after falling behind in the 1st quarter.

I feel like I am repeating myself ever recap but I promise the trends are consistent: Kuzma led the way with 22 points followed by Poole who had 16 points on 35% shooting and another 5 turnovers (it actually seems to be getting worse).

But once again, our prodigal son Bilal Coulibaly had a solid stat line: 10 points on 80% shooting, 2/2 from beyond the arch, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block. Here’s why Anthony Gill is not surprised at Bilal’s performance so far…

@chasedcsports

“This guy is the best guy in the draft.” Anthony Gill saw highlights of Bilal Coulibaly long before the Wizards drafted him 7th overall an... See more

Wizards lose 3rd IST game at home to the Knicks 99-120

The good news is I got to see this one in person. The bad news is that the outcome was the same. The Wizards made a few runs to keep it interesting but, for the most part, the game seemed out of reach for all 4 quarters.

Jalen Brunson, Immanuel Quickly and Julius Randle combined for 71 points. None of our guys showed any real spark in this game, least of all Jordan Poole who ended with 8 points after going 2 for 11 from the field and 0 for 6 from the three point line. Oh yeah, he also had another 5 turnovers.

But perhaps the low point of the night came at the end of the 4th quarter when a single Knick fan in section 121 began the chant “Lets go Knicks” and within 15 seconds the chant had caught on with Knick fans throughout the stadium. It felt like we were sitting in Madison Square Garden.

Here is what Deni had to say about that experience…

@bleacherreport

Deni Avdija on road fans taking over Wizards arena 😬 #nba #nbabasketball #basketball #wizards #knicks #newyorkknicks

Wizards Stats that may Surprise you

Daniel Gafford ranks 5th in the League in True Shooting Percentage and 6th in Blocks

True shooting percentage is shooting percentage adjusted for three-pointers and free throws. This shouldn’t be a surprise considering most of Gafford’s points come in the paint, with my favorite being his signature dunk with authority. It also shouldn’t be a surprise that Gafford is sixth in the league in blocks, averaging two per game earning him the nickname “Landlord”.

Bilal Coulibaly ranks 6th in Rookie Stats

According to Hashtag Basketball, which has a very complicated system of ranking rookie stats (see below for yourself), Bilabl Coulibaly ranks 6th among rookies.

Wizards rank number 1 in the league in Pace

Yes, I’m surprised too. The Wizards actually rank 1st in something. The NBA defines team pace as the number of possessions per 48 minutes for a team. The Wizards are averaging 103 possessions per game. Having that said, we can all be sure that having more possessions does not translate into wins.

Wizards Headlines

Wizards guard speaks up following Jordan Poole's season-worst performance

The Washington Wizards still have embattled guard Jordan Poole's back, even after he cratered with a season-worst showing in Friday's blowout loss to the New York Knicks. After the loss, Tyus Jones said that he and the rest of the Wizards are trying to make sure that Poole stays positive, and expressed confidence that things will turn around before long for his backcourt partner.

Yard Barker

This is why Wes Unseld Jr.’s job is safe despite the Wizards’ rough start

Washington is 2-9 and has one of the NBA's worst defenses. So why is its head coach safe? For many NBA franchises, that would be sufficient grounds to fire a coach who has compiled a 72-103 cumulative record.

The Athletic

Monumental Sports reportedly told broadcasters not to commemorate John Wall or praise opponents

According to the Washington Post, when longtime Wizards star John Wall returned to D.C. as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2022, the broadcast was reportedly told not to air a package that commemorated his nine seasons there, even though it had already been put together by staffers.

Awful Announcing

Upcoming Schedule

  • Monday, Nov. 20th @8:00pm EST: Wizards vs Bucks (Home)

  • Wednesday, Nov. 22nd @ 7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Hornets (Away)

  • Friday, Nov. 24th @ 8:00pm EST: Wizards vs Bucks (Away: In-Season Tournament Game)

  • Saturday, Nov. 25th @ 7:00pm EST: Wizards vs Hawks (Home)

Have a great week!

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