CAPITAL ONE ARENA -- Four games back the Washington Wizards didn’t just make a lineup change. They went modern.
Otto Porter moved to the "four" as Kelly Oubre Jr. replaced Markieff Morris with the starters and center Thomas Bryant went from sitting to starting. The adjustments, however, are not just about who is playing, but the type of player who isn't.
See, many will use the catchall “small-ball” to describe the different look rolled out by Scott Brooks starting with the Nov. 20 meeting against the Los Angeles Clippers. Some elements surely exist.
Moving Porter to the other forward spot certainly helps open the court. Pairing Morris and Jeff Green in the big man slots means no traditional center and puts five shooters on the court. Greater flexibility exists defensively.
Still, don’t get it twisted.
Morris is 6-foot-10. Same as Thomas Bryant, who started his fourth consecutive game in place of the injured Dwight Howard, and an inch taller than Jeff Green. They’re all an inch or three shorter than Howard, Ian Mahinmi and Jason Smith. Such differences are largely negligible when considering all variables. The true distinction comes from the lack of bulk compared to when the hulking Howard or Mahinmi play.
“It’s not really small,” Morris said. “We’re just not big.”
Correct. It’s also modern.
However one wishes to classify the rotation shift, it's working. Monday’s thrilling 135-131 overtime win over the Houston Rockets improved the Wizards to an unsatisfactory 8-12, but also counted as their third win in four games.
For the last four games, the Wizards have only used players capable of running the court, switching defensively and hitting a 3-pointer. That’s not hyperbole, but fact. It’s also kick-started their offense.
Through the opening 16 games, Washington’s posted an offensive net rating (points per 100 possessions) of 106.4. Over the last four games, the Wizards are 115.5.
“It allows us to play with a lot of good offensive players,” Brooks said of the new look.
They aren’t taking a staggering amount of 3-pointers, a noted aspect of “small ball,” but they are attacking the rim with fervor. Washington scored 132 points in the paint during its two-game winning streak. Bryant provides a bouncy presence at center at the start. Morris, who had 22 points and 10 rebounds, adds veteran spice.
Morris correctly contends the true key is how Washington handles the boards. Going without brutes exposes the potential for rebounding concerns. The Wizards had those most of this season regardless of the lineup, but they become heightened.
Washington outrebounded New Orleans Saturday. It lost the rebounding battle 47-38 to Houston. Caveats: The Rockets were plus-5 in overtime in part because they corralled their own misfires. The Wizards had no such issues by shooting 56.8 percent from the field.
“As long as we rebound, I think we have an advantage because we can switch (defensively), get out and run and make their bigger guys have to play out on the floor,” Morris said.
The shift also helped provide focus to a group that appeared lost most of the season.
“Since we’ve made the lineup change, everybody’s just accepting their role,” said John Wall, who had 36 points and 11 assists in the win over Houston.
Brooks talks about the idea of running, hardly a novel concept considering the presence of a true burner in Wall. Even if at times this season the point guard didn’t appear to have all gears available, he can still run past foes. Wall blistered the Rockets on several fast break opportunities, including a full-speed drive where he went behind the back before finishing with a layup.
Yet the Wizards don’t always load the court with players capable of keeping up, pushing the pace. When the lineup goes from Howard to Mahinmi, an old school interior center is always on the court. The ball may wind up in the hands of such players with the shot clock winding down or spots on the court where they shouldn’t shoot even if open. That’s hardly modern.
These new lineups offer burst. The Wizards only had 14 fast break points combined in back-to-back wins over the Pelicans and Rockets, yet the ball moved, the options expanded. Most notably, the players finally appear engaged.
“Guys are playing with more energy now,” said Wall, who is clearly part of the more energy club.
That vigor is also showing where it’s needed most, defensively. That might not seem obvious during a game when James Harden dropped a cool 54 points with his usual display of 3-point shooting, volume free throws and penetration mastery. Houston opened the game hitting seven consecutive 3-pointers.
The Rockets then missed their next seven and 30 of their final 41. Bradley Beal’s two-way performance wowed not just for his 32 points, but relentless defensive work while playing 50 minutes. The Wizards displayed an ability to deflect passes, something that comes “especially when we play small,” Morris said.
Surely, he meant modern. Whatever one calls this new look, it’s working.
“We’re going with it. We’re rolling with it,” Otto Porter told NBC Sports Washington. “We’re starting to win games.”
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