Washington Wizards Proving to Be NBA's Biggest Pretender and Tuesday Takeaways
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
After starting the season 22-9 and comfortably occupying one of the Eastern Conference's coveted top four spots, the Washington Wizards have been exposed as pretenders.
Following Tuesday night's 114-107 loss to the Golden State Warriors, Washington's dropped four straight and nine of its last 11. As a result, the Wizards sit just 1.5 games up on the Milwaukee Bucks in possession of the No. 5 seed.
And while head coach Randy Wittman praised his team's effort, according to Hoop District, this isn't the time to be basking in the glow of moral victories:
For a team that was seeking to build on its first-round victory over the bruised Chicago Bulls last postseason, Washington's now faced with a harsh reality that is regression.
Not only has the team's statistical relapse been very real since the calendar flipped to 2015, but it's also put the team in the unenviable position of squaring off against one of the conference's polished title contenders when postseason play opens.
To simplify things, here's a look at how the Wizards' efficiency ratings have downshifted in tandem with a precipitous dip in victories.
According to The Washington Post's Neil Greenberg, the Wizards' shooting woes have been amplified throughout February:
"At the end of January, the Wizards had an effective field goal percentage, which weights three-point shots more than two-point shots, of 51.7 percent on shots with a defender within four to six feet.
That dropped to 41.5 percent in February. Plus, they are taking more shots this month when the defender is within four feet (47.7 per game) than they did up until that point (44.8).
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But even when shots are falling, the Wizards haven't been able to piece things together. Despite shooting 53.2 percent from the field against Golden State, Washington committed 26 turnovers, producing 23 Warriors points on the other end. John Wall, who finished with 16 points and 11 assists, accounted for eight of those turnovers.
Making matters worse is the apparent displeasure that's starting to consume center Marcin Gortat.
Since Jan. 1, Gortat has played just 56 fourth-quarter minutes. Only back-end rotation bigs Drew Gooden and DeJuan Blair have played fewer among players who have been with the team since the start of the new year.
On a per-game basis, Gortat's also playing the fewest fourth-quarter minutes of any Wizard. That trend continued Tuesday night, as Wittman chose to bench Gortat down the stretch. The Polish Hammer wound up sitting for the entirety of the game's final frame.
As The Washington Post's Jorge Castillo reported from the locker room, Gortat wasn't in the mood to discuss Washington's questionable rotations:
Between tactical disagreements, sliding production and a dispirited locker room, the Wizards appear to be reaching a breaking point.
And with the second-toughest remaining schedule among current Eastern Conference playoff qualifiers, according to NBA.com's John Schuhmann, the team's best days may very well be behind it.
Around the Association
Heartbreak in Chicago
Get well soon, Derrick Rose.
According to Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears, the Chicago Bulls announced Rose will undergo surgery for a meniscus tear with no timetable for return in sight:
As ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell notes, the meniscus tear is the exact same ailment that sidelined Rose after a meager 10 appearances last season:
Fellow superstars LeBron James and John Wall were quick to tweet out well-wishes shortly after the news broke:
"Prayers up for the homie Drose...Wish u a speedy recover
— John Wall (@JohnWall) February 25, 2015"
Rose's injury dampens Chicago's title hopes in the short term, but concern over his long-term health should supersede any gains made during the remainder of this season.
Just Westbrook Being Westbrook
Another day, another triple-double for Russell Westbrook.
As the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers, 105-92, to capture a seventh straight victory, Russell Westbrook went ballistic.
Again.
It took just three quarters for Westbrook to record his third triple-double of the season, tallying 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 28 minutes. According to The Oklahoman's Anthony Slater, Westbrook's no stranger to achieving such feats:
Westbrook's now tied with Michael Carter-Williams and Rajon Rondo for the league lead with three triple-doubles.
Through 10 games this month, he's averaging 29.5 points, 10.1 assists and 8.2 rebounds on 48.7 percent shooting from the field and 38.9 percent shooting from three.
Serge Ibaka, your thoughts?
LeBron Makes More History as Cleveland Downs Detroit
The last three days have been filled with milestones for LeBron James. On Sunday, he passed Allen Iverson and moved into 22nd place on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
Tuesday night, LeBron's distributive prowess received historic billing, according to Bleacher Report's Ethan J. Skolnick:
Following Cleveland's 102-93 victory over the Detroit Pistons, James posted on Instagram to commemorate the occasion:
After trailing by as many as 14, Cleveland surged past Detroit in a matter of minutes, thanks to brilliant pick-and-roll execution and Kevin Love's deft outside touch. The Cavaliers went on to outscore the Pistons, 24-12, in the third quarter.
Love led all scorers with 24 points, all of which came from beyond the arc. His eight conversions from distance tied a career high. LeBron totaled 19 points and 11 assists, while Kyrie Irving added 18 points and five dimes.
Chef Curry Makes a Triumphant Return
The top line on Stephen Curry's resume includes phrases such as "NBA All-Star" and "MVP front-runner." But what most people don't realize is the second line of Curry's resume reveals that he moonlights as a magician.
Here's all the proof you need:
Following a one-game absence due to foot soreness, Curry finished with 32 points, eight assists and zero turnovers while shooting 11-of-18 from the field and 5-of-9 from three as the Golden State Warriors downed the Wizards. He also pulled a rabbit out of a hat, but you won't find that in the box score.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, Curry ranks No. 5 overall with 11 30-point games this season. Only James Harden, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis have more.
Tempers Flare in Big D
The Dallas Mavericks may have escaped with a 99-92 win over the Toronto Raptors, but the victory didn't come without a helping of controversy.
Midway through the third quarter, head coach Rick Carlisle and point guard Rajon Rondo had a fiery exchange that resulted in the floor general getting benched for the remainder of the second half.
According to ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon, neither Carlisle nor Rondo was game to elaborate on the argument:
Although it remains to be seen if the spat was born from strategical differences, it's no secret Rondo hasn't been a seamless fit in the Mavericks offense. Since the point guard arrived in mid-December, Dallas' offensive rating has actually been a half-point better with Rondo off the floor, according to NBA.com.
The Raptors, meanwhile, have lost three straight by an average margin of 11 points.
