How did Washington Wizards perform in the 2021 NBA Summer League? We take a closer look at the numbers and the story behind them
As the Washington Wizards finished up their 2021 NBA Summer League campaign with a loss to the Indiana Pacers in Las Vegas, Nevada, were the stats indicative of their talent? The Wizards limped into Vegas and didn't put up a good team display overall. Let's see what and how it all went down for the side.
Washington Wizards Summer League stats
In four games (one canceled because of COVID protocols), the Washington Wizards went 1-3, and averaged 78.5 points a game. The side converted 27.8 makes on 73.8 attempts a game for 37.6% from the field.
From the arc, the Washington Wizards made 8.3 per contest on 33.5 attempts for 24.6%. They shot 76.6 from the charity stripe and pulled down 40.8 (31.8 defensive/9.0 offensive) boards a game. The Wizards also dished out 16.8 assists and committed 18.8 turnovers a game. In those four games, Washington blocked 8.3 shots, fouled opponents at a 21.8 per clip and had a +/- of -4.
How'd top pick Corey Kispert perform?
Corey Kispert had an up-and-down summer league campaign. In the third of four games, vs. Milwaukee, Kispert broke out for 18 points. He made 4-7 of his shots from deep. His quick release is what everyone wants to see, and despite struggling at times, his form was pretty good overall.
What about the others?
G-League product Isaiah Todd, who was picked 31st, just has to get on the floor to show what he has. He's ready to go and has all the enthusiasm in the world, but without sufficient playing time, we may never see Todd's true potential on the floor.
Caleb Homesley led the team with 12 points a game and hit 33% of his threes. The 6'6" undrafted wing out of Liberty looks like he just needs the right coaching to draw the best out of him.
Summer League head coach Mike Miller's Washington Wizards team showed rust, and for all the dynamic performances from the NBA's young players during the summer league, the team just couldn't get going every night. Isaiah Todd and Corey Kispert struggled off and on and their lack of court time was evident. Zoom workouts aren't the real thing, as we're sure Todd can attest.
The Washington Wizards have been through a lot because of COVID-19 with half the team contracting the deadly virus. While most teams in pro sports have had COVID-related challenges, the Washington Wizards got the short end of the stick throughout it all.
Not having the ability to practice and play as a team would affect most franchises. But there are also reasons to be positive as some believe bad summer league performances can lead to success through the motivation of perceived failure. Let's hope that's the case in DC.