Fansided

Russell Westbrook took over the Rockets, and other lessons from the 2019-20 NBA season

By Brendon Kleen

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 02: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Russell Westbrook #0 of the Houston Rockets in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 02, 2020 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Rockets 125-123. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 02: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Russell Westbrook #0 of the Houston Rockets in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 02, 2020 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Rockets 125-123. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 10: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards in action against the New York Knicks at Capital One Arena on March 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 10: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards in action against the New York Knicks at Capital One Arena on March 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

2. Washington’s one-sided experiment sort of worked

Heading into the 2019-20 season, Washington had little chance of building a winning team. The Wizards are effectively operating under a discounted salary cap until John Wall recovers from a ruptured Achilles tendon, and the team knew it would be without Wall all season. An offseason move from longtime lead executive Ernie Grunfeld to newcomer Tommy Sheppard meant a philosophy change for the team, something that would make them more exciting and modern right away.

Sheppard opted to keep head coach Scott Brooks in place and extend star wing Bradley Beal rather than trade him, but while those moves smelled of a grasp for mediocrity, the Wizards didn’t have the artillery to form a cohesive team around Beal. Instead, they embraced modern offense and were in playoff contention into March.

Washington was 30th in defensive rating this season but 12th in offense. For the first half of the season or so, they were in the top five offensively. The Wizards had the third-best 3-point efficiency in the NBA, with very few rotation players who couldn’t shoot 3s. Somehow, a team with very little proven talent put together a team-wide 56.8 true shooting percentage.

Assigning credit here for the organization is difficult. Did anyone see this coming, or is it just a fluke? Davis Bertans and Troy Brown Jr. had breakout seasons, so Washington’s player development staff (word to Kristi Toliver) seemingly did well with the younger players. It takes a coach like Brooks swallowing his pride to give players a green light to take as many shots as guys like Jordan McRae and Rui Hachimura did at times. The front office found players who could fit a four-out offensive system and who were confident enough to score.

Many NBA fans worried about the influx of shooting and small ball into the game imagined a worst-case scenario of a bad team bumping the scales by relying on threes to get even. The Wizards got as close as any recent bad team to doing that, and they finished with a .375 winning percentage — in the East. Washington was a lot of fun, so no harm there, but floor spacing and shot-chucking are not ruining basketball any time soon.

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