Know Your New Orleans Pelicans Opponents: Washington Wizards Q&A
As we head towards the start of the 2015-16 season, New Orleans Pelicans fans are mostly concerned with the way the Pelicans are adjusting to a new system. While that is the most important question for the Pelicans right now, there are also 29 other teams in the NBA with questions and the answers to some will directly impact the Pelicans. With that in mind we decided to go around the league and do Q&A sessions with a blogger for each team in the league. Today we are joined by Quinten Rosborough, who writes at Hardwood Paroxysm and Bullets forever to talk Washington Wizards.
1. Washington feels a lot like New Orleans in that they played much slower last year than one would expect looking at the rosters (because John Wall, basically). New Orleans is changing that this season with Alvin Gentry in charge but does Washington?
Quinten: Surprisingly enough, it seems that the Wizards have always wanted to play fast, but haven’t had the roster to do so until now. With Paul Pierce in Los Angeles and Nenê coming off the bench, Randy Wittman finally feels comfortable loosening the reigns and letting John Wall do what he does best — draw help defenses to the rim and kicking it out to shooters on the perimeter. It’s just the preseason, but the Wizards seem fully committed to a modern, pace and –erm Pickup With Principles offense. After blitzing the 76ers in their first preseason game to the tune of 109.5 possessions per game, the Wiz played the Knicks to 104.2 possessions and the Brazilian club Bauru to 101.2 (to put those numbers into context, last year’s Warriors finished at 98.3). There’s no question that this year’s Wizards are going to play fast, but can their defense keep up?
More from Pelicans News
- How will the Pelicans round out rotation without Trey Murphy III
- Why you can’t blame Brandon Ingram for all Team USA’s failures
- New Orleans Pelicans avoid potential disaster with latest injury reports
- 3 New Orleans Pelicans whose role will increase next season
- Pelicans getting the fans involved with their upcoming festival
2. Like New Orleans, Washington at least seems to want to start games big with Nene and Marcin Gortat. With the league getting smaller and smaller will that work and can they finish games that way?
Quinten: The power forward spot remains a mystery with team, one thing I can say however is that Nenê won’t be starting or finishing many games there. The battle here is between Kris Humphries Jared Dudley. Humph-threes, as some Wizards fans have taken to calling him has shown a willingness to toss-up the three ball, but the results have been mixed thus far in the preseason. Pencil in Dudley here for now, his stroke and defensive versatility makes him the perfect fit for this team.
3. Washington stocked up on bench shooters who may fit best as small-ball power forwards this summer with guys like Alan Anderson and Jared Dudley, who were guys many Pelicans fans wanted. Which do you expect more from this season?
Quinten: Dudley is likely to be the starter, so I expect more out of him, but Anderson will likely play a huge role off the bench backing up both Otto Porter and at times, Bradley Beal. Rookie Kelly Oubre Jr. still has a way to go before he’s ready to contribute, and Gary Neal hasn’t yet been able to recreate the success he had with the San Antonio Spurs. Look for Anderson to contribute heavily on both ends of the floor.
4. If you guys don’t get KD this summer can we just send John Wall to New Orleans to play with Anthony Davis because it would be perfect?
Quinten: You kid, but lest we forget, the Washington Wizards had the second most ping-pong balls in the 2012 lottery. An alternate universe certainly exists somewhere where under the tutelage of Jeff Van Gundy, John Wall and Anthony Davis are embarking on their third consecutive finals berth for the Wizards. Lets make things right and put the brow in red, white, and blue, where he belongs.
5. What are the expectations for the Wizards this year? What would you consider a successful season?
Quinten: Success is the Eastern Conference Finals, plain and simple, it’s hard to see Kevin Durant coming home otherwise. It’s safe to say expectations are high, but not unreasonable. It’s not too difficult to imagine last year’s team beating the Hawks in the second round with a healthy John Wall. This year’s team projects to be even better than the last, so a third consecutive second round exit would be a step backward no matter how you view it.
Next: Jeff Siegel Joined Us Yesterday to Talk Atlanta Hawks
More from Pelican Debrief
- How will the Pelicans round out rotation without Trey Murphy III
- Why you can’t blame Brandon Ingram for all Team USA’s failures
- Ranking 10 worst starters of the Anthony Davis era
- New Orleans Pelicans avoid potential disaster with latest injury reports
- 4 Most underrated players on New Orleans Pelicans current roster