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The Washington Wizards' 2020-21 NBA season was a rollercoaster ride. They were 10+ games below .500 at one point in the season and were not expected to make the postseason.
However, the star backcourt of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal surged during the final stretch of the season and carried the team to the NBA play-in tournament and subsequently to the NBA playoffs.
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Now the Wizards organisation knows they have a talented team capable of playoff contention, so they have to find the right pieces to complement their star backcourt.
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They must figure out what were the issues plaguing the team this season so that they can improve on them and seek the right players to acquire. On that note, let's take a look at the five things that went wrong for the Washington Wizards in the 2020-21 NBA season.
#1 Washington Wizards had to build chemistry on the fly
Russell Westbrook joined the Washington Wizards in the 2020 off-season and barely had enough time to build chemistry with the team.
He was traded for John Wall, and the short off-season with small training camps meant he had to dive into the regular season with a new team. The Wizards started the season 0-5 and were 3-12 through their first 15 games. They spent most of the season playing from behind and trying to catch up with the .500 teams.
Along with COVID-19 protocols and injuries, the team was always at a disadvantage. Their promising rookie Deni Avdija got injured, and Rui Hachimura missed time as well. Bradley Beal got injured during the final few games. and many speculate that's the reason why he didn't bag the scoring title.
Moreover, the Wizards had 18 different starters this season, resulting in a plethora of starting lineups. Naturally, they had no time to build chemistry and realize their full potential except towards the end.
#2 Washington Wizards were abysmal with their three-point shooting
The Washington Wizards were terrible from beyond the arc this season. Their best three-point shooter was Thomas Bryant (42.9%), who only attempted 2.1 threes a game.
Their volume shooters like Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans weren't near the 40%-mark. The Wizards ranked 29th in three-pointers attempted and 28th in three-point makes along with 23rd-ranked 3P% shooting.
The Washington Wizards were left behind in a league that has fallen in love with three-point shooting. They desperately need more shooters in their roster if they want to compete in the playoffs next season.
#3 Washington Wizards didn't take care of the ball well
Turnovers literally wrecked the Washington Wizards this season. They rarely had any game with single-digit turnovers. and most of their games were with 15+ or even 20+ turnovers.
The Wizards were ranked 21st in the league in turnovers, and the eight teams below them were all lottery teams, except LA Lakers. Russell Westbrook turned the ball over a lot, and a lack of chemistry and connection between Wizards players was a huge factor.
Westbrook stepped out of bounds during crunch time of playoff games, which arguably cost Wizards victories.
They had incredible runs and scoring stretches in games but turned the ball over, which killed their momentum.
#4 Terrible defense cost them games
Arguably the most important point of them all, in an era of volume scoring and three-point shooting, having no defense is certainly going to lead to a team's doom.
The Washington Wizards were atrocious defensively in the 2020-21 NBA season. They were ranked last in the league in points allowed and were 19th in defensive rating. They allowed the second-most field goals, and their opponents shot way better when playing against them.
The Wizards had no rim protection and were ranked 28th in blocked shots. They were also subpar in defending the three-point line, as they were ranked 19th in perimeter defense.
Their defense was so bad that even Ben Simmons, who collapsed offensively in the semifinals, was dominating the first-round series games without Joel Embiid on the floor.
Thus, the Washington Wizards' priority this off-season should be to get defensive-minded players.
#5 They faced the 1st seed in the East in the NBA playoffs
After everything they faced and the uphill battle they endured, the Washington Wizards made it to the NBA playoffs as the eighth seed.
Their season was doomed, though, as they went up against arguably the best team in the Eastern Conference without three-point shooting and defense. The Philadelphia 76ers are excellent in both those categories as they managed a gentleman's sweep of the Wizards.
The odds of an eighth seed winning the series against the first seed have been historically low, as only five teams have ever done it in NBA history.
The Washington Wizards have now built a strong foundation for next season, though. They have a ready roster capable of competing at a high level. So a few tweaks and additions in their lineup could see them start next season excellently from the get-go.
Also Read: 5 most outrageous stat lines of Russell Westbrook's NBA career.
Washington Wizards Nation! You can check out the latest Washington Wizards Schedule and dive into the Wizards Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.
