Wizards Early Season Struggles Continue, Falling to 2-11 (11-20-24)
By: Jaden Golding
Headline Photo Credit: YouTube
New York City, NY—The Washington Wizards lost to the New York Knicks last night, 134-106, at Madison Square Garden. Washington (2-11) has dropped nine straight contests after winning back-to-back games against the Atlanta Hawks in late October.
New York (8-6) meanwhile moves to 8-6 and has won three straight.
Washington hit their first five field goals of the opening quarter and led 12-7. New York responded by outscoring the Wizards, 33-15 the rest of the quarter to gain a 13-point separation that they would never lose. The Knicks hit seven 3-pointers in the first.
The Wizards’ defense continued to struggle especially when guarding the pick-and-roll combination of Jalen Brunson and newly acquired big man Karl Anthony Towns. Towns is a lethal outside threat who stretches the floor, causing the Wizards issues all night. There were many instances where the Knicks took advantage of mismatches, such as when forward OG Anunoby had a smaller defender on him from within the paint or at the elbow.
Center Jonas Valanciunas, forward Corey Kispert, and rookie guard Carlton Carrington all led D.C. with 18 points each. Veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon in his second game back from a hand injury scored seven points, grabbed a rebound, and dished out an assist in 19 minutes of play.
New York had a 50-50-90 split last night.
Washington fell to the Heat, Warriors, Grizzlies, Magic, Rockets, Spurs, Hawks, and Pistons before New York.
Despite the losing streak, D.C. has seen growth coming from its young 2024 draft class.
Carrington has shown the all-around ability to create shot opportunities for himself, dish out assists to his teammates, and bring an active energy to the floor. For only being 19 years old, he plays with a much more veteran mindset and knows how to read the floor.
Kyshawn George has appeared to grow comfortable with his shot displaying his touch from outside the arc and plays with a toughness that some rookies don’t gain till later in their careers. George was playing lengthy minutes, gaining some key early experience in place of Kyle Kuzma who missed time with an injury.
Finally, second-overall pick Alexander Sarr, like his fellow rookie teammates, has had his growing pains, especially on the offensive side. But he has continued to keep at it and only gets better each game. Displaying moments where he can extend his range from outside the arc and get to the rack for easy buckets. Sarr has been excellent on defense, bringing an active presence on the defensive side of the ball and contesting shots well that lead to blocks or tough looks. He’s becoming a resistant force in the paint for opposing teams. When facing the elite big man of the league he has work to do, he’ll have to learn to play more physically and not get caught on his feet.
Honorable Mentions
Guards Jordan Poole and Bilal Coulibaly have been excellent this year, on both sides of the ball. Poole is playing with better decision-making overall with his passing and scoring leading to efficient performances. Against the Spurs, Poole poured in a 42-point performance, shooting 15-22 off the field, and 6-of-9 from beyond the arc to go against a career-high 50-point outing by Victor Wembanyama.
Coulibaly continues his strong sophomore season with consistent scoring production and elite defensive showings against the best-of-the-best night in and out. He’s averaging 14.8 ppg, 2.6 apg, 5.8 reb, 1.2 stl, 0.7 blk on .554% fg and .371 3pt% shooting. Coulibaly’s best game came in the Wizards second victory of the season against the Hawks on Oct. 30, where he finished with 27 points, nine rebounds, two assists, three steals, a block while shooting 11-14 from the floor and 3-5 from three.
Up Next
Washington hosts the Boston Celtics in their second NBA Cup game on Friday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m.
