{"id":312741,"date":"2025-11-27T19:04:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T19:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/312741\/"},"modified":"2025-11-27T19:04:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T19:04:07","slug":"wizards-latest-win-cant-distract-from-shortcomings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/312741\/","title":{"rendered":"Wizards’ Latest Win Can’t Distract From Shortcomings"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Washington Wizards<\/a> (2-15) winning a basketball game feels like an alien result, given their historically bad start to the 2025-26 NBA season so far. Yet, against the Atlanta Hawks (11-8) in their most recent bout, the Wizards managed just that – and in blowout fashion, to boot. With a final score of 132-113, Washington had Atlanta’s number from the tip, leading by 22 points already by the end of the first quarter and, from there, never once looking back.<\/p>\n

Identity in Scoring Alone<\/p>\n

If any reason can be primarily identified for the Wizards’ win, it is in their (apparently newfound) ability to force the Hawks to play their own game. For a team with little to no identity this year, Washington seems only able to claim fact-paced scoring as their calling card. The problem has been, and still is, that a number of teams also score the ball at a high rate. Even still, when the Wizards are getting 46-point performances from CJ McCollum<\/a>, as they did against Atlanta, little else will subsequently matter.<\/p>\n

Yet what can’t be forgotten about the Wizards<\/a> as a collective unit lies in a few particularly dire statistics that came to light as a natural consequence of their win, as was pointed out by Greg Finberg of The Daily Collegian on X (Twitter):<\/p>\n

The Washington Wizards have won a basketball game for the first time since Oct. 24.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s their first home win since April 2 and first NBA Cup win in franchise history. pic.twitter.com\/7S8WcG5S9p<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) November 26, 2025<\/a>Inherent Issues<\/p>\n

Washington’s win over the Hawks, while undoubtedly encouraging, was their first of any kind since October 24; that’s an entire month of basketball without a victory, and arguably, it isn’t even the worst footnote to come from the matchup.<\/p>\n

Given that their duel against the Hawks was a part of the still-new NBA Cup, Washington secured their first win in the history of the in-season competition. The Cup was first played in Novemeber of 2023. The Wizards’ problems unfortunately still remain, even in the soft light of a long-needed win.<\/p>\n

Beyond their aforementioned penchant for putting the ball in the bucket, Washington has little else to hang their hats on as a team. From some of the league’s worst score-stopping metrics – their defensive rating is currently 30th in the NBA, at 123.9 – to a roster that often suffocates young players under inconsistent veteran assets, head coach Brian Keefe appears to have outlined little direction for a team that is only good in spurts.<\/p>\n

Fans should certainly revel in the team’s win over Atlanta, though if not only for the painful reality that it could be another month before the next one.<\/p>\n

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!<\/a><\/p>\n