Washington Wizards: Assessing Week 6

We were never meant to understand the Washington Wizards.

So let’s recap. After four increasingly brutal losses in a row last week – a stretch so poor it seemed that it could eventually cost Randy Wittman his job – the Wizards rebounded to beat the defending Eastern Conference champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on the road, rather handily.

Then they lost at home to a team that lost to the Sixers.

Then they came back late beat a mediocre Phoenix team in one of the stupidest basketball games of all time, all while fielding a frontcourt consisting exclusively of Ryan Hollins, DeJuan Blair and Jared Dudley.

Are you finding any sort of pattern here? If you are, you’re a smarter person than I am, and I hope all the good things of the universe happen to you.

This roller coaster may eventually take our lives. Let’s grade.

Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

John Wall: 28.7 PPG (53.6 FG%), 5.3 RPG, 10.0 APG, 3.0 SPG

At the most desperate time of the season, and as he was in the midst of the worst stretch of his career, John Wall responded. He still turned the ball over, yes – 17 of them in three games – but the Washington Wizards’ star was everything they needed him to be, even in their stunning loss to Los Angeles.

He had two 30-10 games, made over 50% of his threes and, most importantly, he looked engaged. He tried. That’s all we were asking from John Wall.

We wanted him not to go out there and jog through halfhearted efforts like he had done in the past couple weeks. We wanted him to at least try to play like John Wall. He did.

It doesn’t solve all of DC’s problems, obviously, but it’ll go a long way.

Grade: A

Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Bradley Beal: 21.0 PPG (40.7 FG%), 6.7 RPG, 5.7 APG, 1.7 SPG

Bradley Beal was kinda struggling. The gorgeous jumpshot just wasn’t falling – he shot 2-14 from 3-point range against Cleveland and Los Angeles. Then the Phoenix game happened, and Bradley Beal reminded us of just how wondrous a creature he is.

Beal scorched the Earth against Phoenix with a season-high 34 points, hitting 5 of his 8 3-point attempts, and also chipping in 9 rebounds and 5 assists. It was one of the best games he’s ever played in the NBA, and he put on display one of the major reasons he’s so special.

We all adore Beal for his jumper and scoring ability, but his all-around game needs to be recognized. Take a look at his rebounding and assist numbers from this past week – they’re not out of the ordinary at all. Beal’s averaging five rebounds and three assists per game this season, and he’s had plenty of games with more than five in either category.

In fact, in many games when the shot hasn’t been there, his all-around basketball skill has been the redeeming factor that still makes him worth it. It’s high time that we look at Bradley Beal as more than just a shooter.

Grade: B+

Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Otto Porter: 8.7 PPG (39.3 FG%), 6.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.0 BPG

Otto, please.

We know you can shoot. Your jumper is crisper than a hot chocolate on a winter morning. But haven’t you heard? Two-pointers are passé. That fadeaway mid-ranger is nice, but it’s not gonna do it anymore.

It’s time to start hitting some threes, Otto. It’s early December, and the third-year forward has only made multiple triples in three games this season – he’s shooting just 26% from long range. He missed all seven of his attempts from beyond the arc last week.

This won’t do, Otto. Those shots have to find the net. Otto’s a valuable but flawed player, and this is a flaw that could be very damaging for Washington.

Otto, please.

Grade: C

Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Jared Dudley: 7.7 PPG (42.1 FG%), 2.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.0 SPG

Hey Washington Wizards fans, you say you want small-ball? RANDALL SCOTT WITTMAN WILL GIVE YOU THE SMALLEST OF BALL.

Maybe we all silently hoped, but did anyone ever honestly expect that Randy Wittman would commit to small-ball so much that he would seriously deploy a tribute to the Golden State Warriors Death Lineup with Jared Dudley playing center?

But it’s happened. TINY BALL! It’s real and it is wonderful. I hope we see a lot of it. This is what the NBA is now.

Grade: B-

Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Marcin Gortat: 16.5 PPG (64.0 FG%), 10.5 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 2.5 BPG

The Polish Hammer is back to attack. If you feed Marcin Gortat a steady stream of touches, only good things can result, and he showed that in one of his most productive weeks of the season.

Gortat was out of commission for the Phoenix game and will miss maybe a few more games, having returned to Poland as his mother fights a serious illness. Condolences to him and his family, and let’s hope for a speedy recovery.

His absence has ushered in the Ryan Hollins Era, which has so far proven fruitful. The Washington Wizards are 1-0 with the journeyman center in the starting lineup. Take all the time you need, Marcin – both for yourself and your family, and for the fact that Ryan Hollins will lead the Wizards into a new golden age.

Grade: A