Is transition defense a missing piece for Wizards? originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
WASHINGTON — The Wizards finished 21st in defensive rating last season per Basketball Reference’s measure, which is below where they hoped to be and despite their roster featuring good defensive players.
Washington had Kristaps Porzingis and Daniel Gafford, each of whom ranked top-20 in blocks per game and showed up well in other rim-protecting metrics. They had Delon Wright, who proved uniquely valuable as a defensive guard while generating steals and deflections at an elite rate. They also had others who brought varying degrees of value to that end of the floor like Deni Avdija, Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Goodwin.
Clearly, something was missing in that equation and head coach Wes Unseld Jr. appears to have narrowed it down.
“Our biggest hole is our transition. I think schematically we do a lot of good things in the halfcourt,” Unseld Jr. said during his end-of-season press conference.
Statistically speaking, there is no denying that claim. According to Synergy, the Wizards allowed 1.19 points per possession on transition plays, third-most in the NBA. They also allowed the fifth-most transition points per game (23.2) and the eighth-highest effective field goal percentage (62.2) in those situations.
Teams were particularly efficient against the Wizards in transition and they also put up points in volume. The Wizards also faced an inordinate amount of transition plays, at 17.7% of their defense, the fourth-highest rate in the league.
It was a problem in every aspect and one Unseld Jr. is intent on fixing this offseason. You can also bet he will include that observation in any feedback he gives to new front office management.
Here’s another way of looking at how much transition defense matters. The Wizards gave up about 5.2 more points per game in transition than the best team in the league in that category, the Chicago Bulls. The Wizards allowed 114.4 total points per game last season, which ranked 17th in the league. If they allowed 5.2 fewer transition points per game, they would have given up 109.2 points per game overall, which would have ranked second only to the Cavs.
Now, exactly how the Wizards can get better at defending in transition is difficult to discern. Take starting point guard Monte Morris’ word, for instance.
“It’s just effort and communication. So, it’s kind of tough to say how it can get better,” Morris said. “It’s not like offense. It’s just all about energy and wanting to do it. I feel like we’ve just gotta communicate more and talk more and fly around.”
Those are intangibles, not personnel-related fixes. It’s not as easy as, for example, adding a bunch of rangy wings with length, as the Raptors have a surplus of those and they were tied for the worst transition defense in the league this season.
Here’s where things get strange. The Wizards were actually one of the very best transition defenses just one year ago, in Unseld Jr.’s first season as head coach. In 2021-22, they allowed the fourth-fewest points in transition (17.9/g) and the seventh-fewest PPP (1.09).
So, what happened? The two biggest personnel changes were arguably the addition of Morris at point guard and the full season of Porzingis in the lineup. It’s also worth noting, however, that even with a better transition defense, the Wizards ranked even lower (25th) in defensive rating during the 2021-22 season.
Maybe it’s more speed that the Wizards could use, or more length. Maybe it’s more players who have a better feel for defending in transition. Or, maybe it’s purely scheme and buy-in.
Whatever it is, the Wizards see transition defense as a key area to address this offseason.