5 things that went wrong for the Washington Wizards in the 2020-21 NBA season
The Washington Wizards' 2020-21 NBA season was a rollercoaster ride. They were 10+ games below .500 at one point in the season and were not expected to make the postseason.
However, the star backcourt of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal surged during the final stretch of the season and carried the team to the NBA play-in tournament and subsequently to the NBA playoffs.
Now the Wizards organisation knows they have a talented team capable of playoff contention, so they have to find the right pieces to complement their star backcourt.
They must figure out what were the issues plaguing the team this season so that they can improve on them and seek the right players to acquire. On that note, let's take a look at the five things that went wrong for the Washington Wizards in the 2020-21 NBA season.
#1 Washington Wizards had to build chemistry on the fly
Russell Westbrook joined the Washington Wizards in the 2020 off-season and barely had enough time to build chemistry with the team.
He was traded for John Wall, and the short off-season with small training camps meant he had to dive into the regular season with a new team. The Wizards started the season 0-5 and were 3-12 through their first 15 games. They spent most of the season playing from behind and trying to catch up with the .500 teams.
Along with COVID-19 protocols and injuries, the team was always at a disadvantage. Their promising rookie Deni Avdija got injured, and Rui Hachimura missed time as well. Bradley Beal got injured during the final few games. and many speculate that's the reason why he didn't bag the scoring title.
Moreover, the Wizards had 18 different starters this season, resulting in a plethora of starting lineups. Naturally, they had no time to build chemistry and realize their full potential except towards the end.
#2 Washington Wizards were abysmal with their three-point shooting
The Washington Wizards were terrible from beyond the arc this season. Their best three-point shooter was Thomas Bryant (42.9%), who only attempted 2.1 threes a game.
Their volume shooters like Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans weren't near the 40%-mark. The Wizards ranked 29th in three-pointers attempted and 28th in three-point makes along with 23rd-ranked 3P% shooting.
The Washington Wizards were left behind in a league that has fallen in love with three-point shooting. They desperately need more shooters in their roster if they want to compete in the playoffs next season.