The Washington Wizards are one of the worst teams in the NBA and Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole are statistically the worst duo in the league.
The Wizards’ on court problems begin on the defensive end. They are the 29th-ranked defense in the league and their two best players, at least in terms of salary, are among their worst defenders. What is going on in D.C.?
“We can’t guard a stop sign. That’s kind of really what it boils down to. We let anybody get whatever they want on us,” Kuzma said after Wednesday’s loss to the Orlando Magic. “So, until we change that, then that’s probably going to be the result.”
Wizards Are A Disaster On Defense
Admitting you have a problem is the first step, right? At least Kuzma knows that defense is the problem. He and Poole have not bathed themselves in glory on that end of the floor, ranking in the eighth and seventh percentile of defensive EPM.
There is no disposition to play defense on that team and the franchise doesn’t seem to genuinely want to be good. Otherwise why construct the roster the way they have?
No defensive presence, a bunch of small offense-first guards and ballhandlers. Rookies and young guys who get no playing time, and often injured veterans.
Kuzma and Poole have a combined -32.1 net rating. That essentially means the Wizards lose when those two are on the floor. The team only has three wins, so everyone is a culprit. But as the highest-paid players, we look at them first. They’ve combined for 43 turnovers due to bad passes, and have had 31 shot attempts blocked.
Kuzma is at least good offensively, it’s just that for every point the team scores while he’s on the floor, they give it back on the other end.
Poole has been a disaster on both ends. He’s in the 42nd percentile in offensive EPM at -1.5. Two seasons ago when he helped the Golden State Warriors win a title he was +2.2, 92nd percentile.
Poole Thinks He’s Arrived
“Everything that needed to be done in Golden State got done,” Poole told YahooSports before the season began. “I got a ring. Made sure my family is straight. A good situation to come in and just kind of have my own team.”
Perhaps that soundbite is at the heart of Poole’s and thus the Wizards problem. Having won a title and securing a four year $128 million contract, he has arrived. Those are markers that signify an elite player. But the thing is truly elite players never stop there or are satisfied. They have a disposition to dominate.
That’s not something we can say about Poole.
We’ve all seen the highlights — or in this case lowlights — of him and Kuzma. Idiotic decisions on the court, celebrating made threes only to realize you actually missed. A general lackadaisical attitude about everything on the court. None of it suggests greatness.
The Wizards are an unserious basketball franchise and have been for a long time, and Kuzma and Poole are unserious basketball players.
