Defense
The Wizards’ bench was 23rd in the NBA in defensive net rating last season. For comparison, the starters ranked 13th. The bench will need to improve its effort and output on the defensive end if the Wizards want to be successful.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is the Wizards’ best defender off the bench, and the stats back it up. Oubre’s 2.3 defensive win shares led all Wizards bench players last season and ranked fourth overall on the team – behind only Otto Porter, Marcin Gortat, and Bradley Beal respectively. At 6’7″, Oubre has both the height and agility to be a versatile defender. He can use his height to create issues for smaller off-guards and has the quickness to make life difficult for larger forwards without sacrificing size. Jeff Green is a player of similar makeup, and during his time with the Cavs, he often defended both small forwards and power forwards in the same game.
The Wizards should be able to use Green and Oubre as defensive catalysts. They can use their length to create turnovers, which then lead to easy baskets in transition, points that become increasingly important as games reach their conclusion.
Next Up: Versatility
