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Washington Wizards can’t make free throws, and it’s costing them Washington Wizards can’t make free throws, and it’s costing them
(about 1 hour later)
SALT LAKE CITY — For 51 games, the Washington Wizards were a below-average free-throw-shooting team. They ranked 22nd in the NBA with a 75.2 percentage at the all-star break. Not great, but not horrible — and better than last season’s 74.2-percent output. Fixing a porous defense and improving at home were far more pressing matters. SALT LAKE CITY — For 51 games, the Washington Wizards were a below-average team at the free throw line. Ranking 22nd in the NBA with a 75.2 percentage at the all-star break, they were not great, but not horrible — and at least better than last season’s mark of 74.2 percent. Fixing a porous defense and improving at home were far more pressing concerns.
A few weeks later, capitalizing on freebies is suddenly on their long list of deficiencies. Since the all-star break, Washington ranks 28th in the NBA with an abysmal 67.5 percentage from the foul line, a plunge that proved costly in their past two games. A few weeks later, capitalizing on freebies is suddenly much higher on their long list of deficiencies. Since the all-star break, Washington ranks 28th in the NBA by shooting an abysmal 67.5 percent from the stripe, a plunge that proved costly in its past two games.
On Saturday, the Wizards shot 15 of 24 from the line against the Indiana Pacers. They lost by a point in a contest with greater playoff stakes than most because the Pacers are ahead in the standings and a tiebreaker was on the line. On Tuesday, the Wizards shot 11 of 23 against the Portland Trail Blazers. They lost, 116-109 in overtime, sputtering to 30-33 with 19 games remaining. On Saturday, the Wizards shot 15 of 24 from the line against the Indiana Pacers. In a contest with greater playoff stakes than most because the Pacers were ahead in the standings and a tiebreaker was on the line, Washington lost by a point. On Tuesday, the Wizards shot 11 of 23 against the Portland Trail Blazers. They dropped that game in overtime, sputtering to 30-33 with 19 games remaining.
[The Wizards are stumbling at exactly the wrong time] “In an overtime game, you can’t have 12 missed free throws,” Wizards Coach Randy Wittman said to kick off his postgame dissection of the defeat.
“In an overtime game, you can’t have 12 missed free throws,” Wizards Coach Randy Wittman said to start his postgame dissection of the defeat. The Wizards don’t depend on free throws. For the season they are 21st in the league in both attempts (22.5 per game) and free throw rate (26.4 percent), which measures offensive efficiency as calculated by foul shots per 100 field goal attempts. But free throws are usually required to win close games — as was the case against the Pacers, when Nene and John Wall each missed one of two tries in the final minute — and missing them can curb aggressiveness out of reluctance to return to the line because of previous struggles.
The Wizards don’t depend on free throws. For the season they are 21st in the league in both attempts (22.5 per game) and free throw rate (26.4 percent), the latter a measure of offensive efficiency calculated by foul shots per 100 field goal attempts. But free throws are usually required to win close games — as was the case against the Pacers when Nene and John Wall each missed one of two tries in the final minute — and missing them can curb aggressiveness out of reluctance to return to the line because of previous struggles.
“You just got to make them,” said Wall, a career 78.7 percent free throw shooter who is shooting 77.4 percent this season, his worst mark since his rookie year. “Sometimes you go out there and you’re thinking too much. You miss the first one and you’re really thinking about making the second one.”“You just got to make them,” said Wall, a career 78.7 percent free throw shooter who is shooting 77.4 percent this season, his worst mark since his rookie year. “Sometimes you go out there and you’re thinking too much. You miss the first one and you’re really thinking about making the second one.”
Of the 10 Wizards players with at least 10 free throw attempts since the all-star break, only Markieff Morris (18 of 21), Alan Anderson (9 of 10), and Wall (41 of 56) are shooting better than 70 percent. Three players — Garrett Temple (7 of 12), Otto Porter Jr. (9 of 16), and Nene (16 of 29) — are shooting worse than 60 percent. Four — Ramon Sessions (29 of 44), Marcin Gortat (22 of 33), Bradley Beal (20 of 29), and Jared Dudley (10 of 15) — are between 60 and 70 percent. [The Wizards are stumbling at exactly the wrong time]
“Sometimes it’s a lack of concentration,” Dudley said. “Sometimes you got to get reps.” Of the 10 Wizards players with at least 10 free throw attempts since the all-star break, only Markieff Morris (18 of 21), Alan Anderson (9 of 10), and Wall (41 of 56) are shooting better than 70 percent. Four players — Ramon Sessions (29 of 44), Marcin Gortat (22 of 33), Bradley Beal (20 of 29), and Jared Dudley (10 of 15) — are between 60 and 70 percent. Three — Garrett Temple (7 of 12), Otto Porter Jr. (9 of 16), and Nene (16 of 29) — are shooting worse than 60 percent.
Dudley said he thought the Wizards would benefit against the Trail Blazers from practicing at Moda Center on Monday, becoming familiar with the setting before the game. Instead, they responded with their worst free throw display of the season, the first time they’ve shot under 50 percent. The previous low was 50 percent in a win over the Pacers on Jan. 15 when they shot 5 of 10. They compensated by outrebounding Indiana by 19, making 11 three-pointers, and shooting 52 percent from the field. “Practice. That’s all you can do,” Wittman said. “We got to stay in the gym and practice. “We got guys that should be shooting better than they are. All they got to do is get in the gym and get back into a rhythm if you’re out of a rhythm. Step up and believe.”
“The only thing you can do it repetition,” Dudley said. “You can’t let that affect your aggressiveness. You got to keep going to get fouled and get to the bonus.” Dudley said he thought the Wizards would benefit against the Trail Blazers from practicing at Moda Center on Monday, becoming familiar with the setting before the game. Instead came their worst free throw display of the season, the first time they’ve shot under 50 percent. The previous low was a 5-of-10 performance in a win over the Pacers on Jan. 15, but they compensated by outrebounding Indiana by 19, making 11 three-pointers and shooting 52 percent from the field.
Wizards note: Beal rejoined the Wizards in Utah but did not practice with the team Thursday after missing Washington’s loss to the Trail Blazers with a sprained right pelvis. Beal stayed in Washington to treat the swelling from the pelvis injury, which he sustained in the third quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Pacers. Marcus Thornton, who signed with the Wizards on Wednesday, also joined the team Thursday and practiced. “You can’t let that affect your aggressiveness,” Dudley said. “You got to keep going to get fouled and get to the bonus.”
Wizards notes: Beal rejoined the Wizards in Utah but did not practice with the team Thursday after missing Washington’s loss to the Trail Blazers with a sprained right pelvis. Beal stayed in Washington to treat the swelling from the injury, which he suffered in the third quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Pacers. Marcus Thornton, who signed with the Wizards on Wednesday, also joined the team Thursday and practiced.