The Washington Wizards have talked about establishing a defensive identity throughout their rebuild. This season, general manager Will Dawkins believes they finally have the personnel to make it happen.
During his pre-training camp press conference, Dawkins was asked why Washington’s defense should be expected to improve after the Wizards have struggled on that end of the floor in recent seasons.
On Locked On Wizards, hosts Ben Strober and Abdullah Ayubi discussed Dawkins’ response and why Washington’s revamped frontcourt could make this season different.
“Dawkins said that they think they have the right makeup to get back towards the top 15 defensively more consistently because they have the ability to overwhelm teams with their size, especially on the interior. We understood that last year their main goal was to funnel everything down low to Sarr, and I really do think they feel whether it is Ayton or Davis on the floor down there, having an extra big body down there on the interior is the exact thing needed to solve the defensive woes they had because they truly believe they have one of the more lethal rim-protecting duos in the entire NBA right now. And I would agree with them. Based on that talent, on paper, they should be able to defend the rim at a high level. I do have questions on how long it takes for them to put this thing together and really knock in some of those defensive principles, but on paper, the roster is set up to be better defensively than they’ve been in a very long time.”
Washington certainly has more options than it did a year ago.
Alex Sarr already gives the Wizards a legitimate rim protector, but the additions of Anthony Davis and DeAndre Ayton dramatically change the amount of size Washington can put around him.
That could be particularly important with Trae Young now running the point.
Opposing teams will almost certainly try to involve Young in actions defensively. Having multiple capable rim protectors behind him could give Brian Keefe more flexibility in how Washington handles those situations.
The Wizards have also added longtime NBA head coach Steve Clifford to Keefe’s staff as a coaching consultant, giving Washington another experienced voice as it attempts to build its defensive identity.
There is a significant difference between having the pieces to become a good defensive team and actually becoming one.
That’s ultimately what makes Dawkins’ top-15 goal interesting.
Washington has spent several seasons accumulating young talent and talking about the type of team it eventually wants to become. With Sarr, Davis and Ayton protecting the interior and significantly more size throughout the roster, the Wizards may finally have the personnel to turn some of that defensive talk into results.
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