The problem with taking the collar
You don’t have to blow it up. Some fans aren’t after a life-changing lottery pick, some fans want you to blow on into the playoffs, not out.
The NBA began to take shape a week or two ago, tiers emerged. Parity continues its overall reign, to be sure, but the league recently decided that it wasn’t going to sit at .500 all year, some teams got going.
Some teams did not.
WASHINGTON
The Wizards snapped a ten-game losing slip on Tuesday, downing the Suns in a back-to-back contest for each club.
Bradley Beal (27-6-6 in the win) returned for the Laker loss on Sunday, 29 points on 17 shots with 13 free throws, yet the Wizards are 12-20 with games in Salt Lake City and Sacramento left to go.
The Wiz return home to face the same Suns and healthy 76ers before taking off for two road games in Milwaukee, followed by a trip to see Orlando (winners of six straight). The ‘Zards could be 12-27 by 1-6.
A rash assumption, but Washington has its full rotation (Delon Wright doesn’t count), and Beal was around for three of the streak’s ten losses. This is the team.
Kyle Kuzma is over 21 points per game and Kristaps Porzingis (22 and nine rebounds) is more or less himself at age 27, not bad at all. Will Barton hasn’t completely worked out, there is a lack of athleticism, but no overwhelming stank set in. A lot of the losses on this streak could have gone either way.
What happened? Every other team wants to be the Wizards.
