After returning from a 5-game road trip, the Wizards couldn’t be mended by home cooking, losing to the Detroit Pistons at Cap One 124-104. There will be no rest for the weary because the Wiz-Kidz turn around and head to the Mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden in New York City. Let’s get into the good, the bad, and the ugly from last night’s loss to the Pistons and then my three keys to development for tonight’s game in NYC.
The Good- Kyle Kuzma
Jordan Poole was JP13 as usual, highly productive and sniping, but it was Kyle Kuzma who looked the best because he was efficient. Kyle Kuzma scored 22 points on an efficient 10-14 from the field. It’s no secret that Kuz is a consistent source of 20+ points a night, but this team’s ball movement is more fluid, and the young guys eat more when Kuz shoots high-percentage shots and uses his frame and play style to set other players up. He did that last night.
The bad- The lack of bench production
The bench did not step up and help the starting unit out. Kyshawn George went scoreless, which is a far cry from when he was playing good basketball while Kuzma was injured. Corey Kispert continues to be inconsistent and Jonas Valanciunas was the lone bright spot, providing 13 points to go along with 10 boards. The bench has got to be better.
The Ugly- Alex Sarr
While we can all agree that Alex Sarr has huge upside and star potential, at 7'1, he has to be more active in the paint offensively and defensively. He was and is too reliant on his jumper and it showed, shooting 1-7 from the field, and 1-3 from three. Playing with his back to the basket and developing post moves will help him reach his true potential. Now, my three keys to development for tonight’s game in NYC.
Three keys to development-
1. Balanced team - competing on both ends of the court
2. Attack the basket - The Knicks are 27th in blocks and 28th in steals.
3. Be on the same page on defense
Prediction- Wizards loss
