PHILADELPHIA -- The time of saying, "Well, it's early in the season," is offically over for the Wizards. Their 109-102 loss to the 76ers dropped them to 2-8 and into a deeper tailspin. And it doesn't matter how many of the players or coaches change, their difficulty with this matchup remains the same.

"We can't talk about early on no more," said Markieff Morris, who had two fouls in the first 54 seconds that handicapped him though he would finish with 19 points on 7-for-15 shooting. "We got to forget that and go play every game one game at a time and try to get a win."

John Wall, who was on a 24-minute restriction because he's playing the first of a back-to-back set that includes a home game Thursday vs. the New York Knicks, sensed the Wizards would be in trouble earlier in the day. The tone at morning shootaround -- something that the previous coach Randy Wittman complained about -- wasn't where it needed to be.

The Sixers (2-9) might not be a good team on paper, missing star rookie Joel Embiid (rest) and with Jahlil Okafor playing on a minutes restrict of 24, too, but they've traditionally given the Wizards trouble. Even in victories, the Wizards have had to hold on after blowing big leads against the likes of T.J. McConnell, Hollis Thompson (11 points) and Robert Covington before.

Wall went to the bench with 4:17 left in the first quarter with the Wizards trailing 16-12. Then the game changed as the Sixers led 29-15 entering the second quarter. The lead grew as large as 24.

Wall said he anticipated something like this was possible, echoing sentiments for Wittman in years past about bad preparation habits. Even though he spent just one year at Kentucky with coach John Calipari, Wall has believed in what he was taught then about shootaround the morning of games.

"They were scoring at will, whoever they put out there," Wall, who had a game-high 27 points and six assists in just 24 minutes, said. "Coaches gave us a good plan of which guys (do what). Know their personnel. I think at times we don't focus or lock in on that point. We know certain guys that just shoot, certain guys can't handle the ball, we do the the opposite. ... We give guys that can't shoot driving lanes. Until we lock in defensively, we're going to have the same problems.

"Shootaround is when the game starts. That's something I learned in college. Coach Cal would say, 'You have a great shootaround, you'll have a good game.' You have a (expletive) shootaround, you'll have a pretty (expletive) game. ... I'm tired of having a team that shows glimpses here and there. We don't have a team that can just be out there and be cool. We don't have all the weapons, all the superstars and all that. We have to play as a team. All five guys on the court together have to play as a group."