Laugh all
you want. Discount them. Discard them. Diss them.
The
Washington Wizards won’t care. They’ll beat you anyway.
Why? Because
the Wizards, at least based on their last 10 games, where they’ve gone 7-3,
have the fifth-best Team Efficiency Difference in the whole league.
Team
Efficiency Difference, or DEFF, is measured by taking the simple efficiency of
a team and subtracting from it the simple efficiency of its opponent. For a
more detailed explanation, click here.
Basically,
it determines how well a team plays as opposed to its opponents (duh!). The
higher the DEFF, the better the team, or that’s how it works in theory. Take
note – this doesn’t measure roster depth or star power. It measures ACTUAL
PRODUCTION.
And the
Wizards have a DEFF of 11.7 for the past 10 games. That puts them right behind
Miami and Chicago in the East, and actually makes them a better team than the
Clippers and the Knicks, who are both in the Top Four of most NBA Power
Rankings.
Again – the
WIZARDS of the last 10 games are better than the Clippers and the Knicks.
The reasons?
How about
several – the return of John Wall, the emergence of Bradley Beal, and the
settling in of several marquee role players (read: Nene and Emeka Okafor).
 |
| John Wall (R) has sparked inspired play in the Wizards. (image by Ned Dishman/Getty Images) |
For now,
let’s focus on the 2010 #1 pick:
Since his
return, Wall has normed 14.1ppg, 6.7apg, and shot 81% from the line in only 25
minutes per outing. His playing time should continue to rise, and his
production will do so, too. Beyond the numbers, however, Wall has given
Washington a more dynamic look, and the playmaking has been a lot smoother than
before. As Mike Wise of the Washington Post puts it:
“His presence instantly changed the team’s
choreography on the floor. Trevor Ariza and Martell Webster didn’t have to
create all the time and could play off the ball, and Ariza could concentrate
more on being a defender. Wall remains a reserve whose minutes are limited, but
in the second half of the season, A.J. Price could be the backup point guard he
was brought here to be. With Wall penetrating, Beal has more wide-open looks to
knock down.”
Wall is a
game-changer, and who knows how good the Wiz could have been had he been
playing since November?
Game
Recaps (courtesy of the Sports Network):
January
24
Toronto 97, Orlando 95
Orlando, FL
(Sports Network) - DeMar DeRozan nailed a go-ahead jumper with less than a
minute remaining only to see the Orlando Magic answer. But then DeRozan came
through again. DeRozan's fadeaway jumper at the buzzer lifted the Toronto
Raptors to a 97-95 win over the Magic. DeRozan's right-elbow jumper gave the
Raptors a two-point edge with 37.5 left before E'Twaun Moore's offensive
rebound putback knotted the contest at 95-95 with 20.9 to go. On the
game-winner, Jose Calderon received the inbounds and passed to DeRozan, who
began at the top of the key and dribbled left before letting go of a fadeaway
from the left corner over the outstretched arms of Glen Davis and Aaron
Afflalo. The high-arching shot hit nothing but net.
New York 89, Boston 86
Boston, MA
(Sports Network) - The contest was marked as the second showdown of the season
between Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett, but it was J.R. Smith who stole the
show late. While he only made 3-of-16 from the field on the night, Smith buried
a clutch 3-pointer and forced a key turnover down the stretch to help the
Knicks come away with an 89-86 victory over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on
Thursday. Albeit another rough shooting performance, Anthony scored a team-best
28 points on 11-of-28 from the field to help the Knicks avenge their loss to
the Celtics on Jan. 7 at Madison Square Garden, where things got a bit chippy
between Anthony and Garnett. The two got in a heated exchange during that
contest, and Anthony confronted Garnett after the game, which resulted in a
one-game suspension for the Knicks' superstar.
Phoenix 93, LA Clippers 88
Phoenix, AZ
(Sports Network) - Goran Dragic tallied 24 points, eight assists and five
rebounds in the Phoenix Suns' 93-88 win over the Chris Paul-less Los Angeles
Clippers. Marcin Gortat added 15 points and eight rebounds for Phoenix, which
has won two straight under new interim head coach Lindsey Hunter. Paul sat out
his second contest in a row with a bruised right kneecap, an injury which has
caused him to miss five tilts so far this season. The team is 3-2 without him.
Jamal Crawford netted 21 points off the bench to lead the Clippers, who have
dropped three consecutive games on the heels of a four-game win streak.
January
25
Washington 114, Minnesota 101
Washington,
DC (Sports Network) - Jordan Crawford came off the bench to score a game-high
19 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor and Bradley Beal added 16 points
and four blocks as the Washington Wizards toppled the struggling Minnesota
Timberwolves on Friday, 114-101. Nene and John Wall scored 14 points apiece for
Washington, which extended its season-high home winning streak to four games.
Wall, who made his first start of the season, also contributed five assists and
two blocks in the victory. The Wizards have won five of eight since Wall
returned to the team's lineup after a left kneecap injury forced him to miss
the start of the season. Derrick Williams poured in 18 points and pulled down
11 rebounds to lead the Timberwolves, who have dropped six straight road
contests and eight of their last nine overall.
Atlanta 123, Boston 111 (2-OT)
Atlanta, GA
(Sports Network) - Kyle Korver helped bring the Hawks back from a 27-point hole
with eight 3-pointers, and Atlanta held the Celtics quiet in the second
overtime to earn a hard-fought 123-111 victory at Philips Arena. Boston was
well on its way to snapping a five-game losing streak, but folded after
halftime in stumbling to its worst losing streak since the 2006-07 season --
the last time the Celtics failed to win the Atlantic Division. Korver netted 24
of his 27 points after the break, while Josh Smith and Al Horford each chipped
in double-doubles in Atlanta's third straight victory. Rajon Rondo totaled 16
points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his second straight triple- double in a
losing cause, and Kevin Garnett provided 24 points and 10 boards before fouling
out early in the second OT.
Cleveland 113, Milwaukee 108
Cleveland,
OH (Sports Network) - Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 35 points on 12-of-17
shooting to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 113-108 win over the Milwaukee
Bucks on Friday. Tristan Thompson added 18 points and Dion Waiters chipped in
with 16 points for the Cavs, who have won back-to-back games for just the
second time this season. Ersan Ilyasova poured in 30 points to go with seven
rebounds, Monta Ellis scored 21 points and dished out nine assists and Brandon
Jennings finished with 14 points and 12 assists for the Bucks, who had a
three-game winning streak snapped.
Miami 110, Detroit 88
Miami, FL
(Sports Network) - Dwyane Wade poured in 29 points and dished out seven assists
to pace Miami to a 110-88 win over Detroit, with the Heat getting revenge for a
loss to the Pistons earlier this season. LeBron James added 23 points, seven
rebounds and seven assists for Miami, which has won four in a row. Chris Bosh
totaled 14 points and seven boards and Ray Allen chipped in 11 points for the
Heat, who shot 55.8 percent from the field. Greg Monroe had 31 points and 12
rebounds to lead the Pistons, who have lost back- to-back contests. Will Bynum
scored 13 points for Detroit, which beat Miami, 109-99, on Dec. 28 at the
Palace of Auburn Hills.
Chicago 103, Golden State 87
Chicago, IL
(Sports Network) - Kirk Hinrich scored 11 of his game-high 25 points during a
dominating opening quarter as the Chicago Bulls ran past the Golden State
Warriors, 103-87, at United Center. Nate Robinson went 10-of-16 from the field
to record 22 points for the Bulls, who have won three in a row and six of their
last seven games. Jimmy Butler, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah all posted
double-doubles in the victory. Butler had 16 points and a career- high 12
rebounds, Boozer compiled 15 points and 13 boards, and Noah had 14 points and
16 rebounds. That was part of a 56-37 advantage on the glass for Chicago. In
addition, Hinrich went 6-of-7 from 3-point range. David Lee totaled 23 points
and Stephen Curry scored 21 for Golden State, which had a three-game winning
streak broken.
San Antonio 113, Dallas 107
Dallas, TX
(Sports Network) - Tony Parker didn't let three stitches above his left eye get
in the way of a productive night, as the All-Star point guard totaled 23 points
and 10 assists in leading the San Antonio Spurs over the Dallas Mavericks,
113-107, for their seventh straight win. DeJuan Blair and Gary Neal chipped in
22 and 18 points, respectively, off the bench for San Antonio, which was
without future Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and head coach Gregg Popovich for the
second straight game. Rodrigue Beaubois led the Mavericks with 19 points, while
Vince Carter added 17 in defeat. Dallas reached the century mark for the
seventh straight game, but couldn't overcome the Spurs' balanced attack.
Memphis 101, Brooklyn 77
Memphis, TN
(Sports Network) - Marc Gasol had 20 points to lead seven Memphis players in double
figures, and the Grizzlies cooled off the previously hot Brooklyn Nets with a
101-77 thumping Friday at FedExForum. Gasol added nine rebounds while going
10-of-15 from the field, scoring all of his points during a first half in which
the Grizzlies led by as many as 25 en route to their fourth victory in five
games. Mike Conley finished with 14 points in Memphis' balanced and effective
offensive attack, with Zach Randolph compiling 12 points and nine rebounds in
the rout. The Nets shot just 40.8 percent from the field and went a poor
3-of-17 from 3- point range in suffering only their second defeat in 12 January
outings. Brooklyn may have also lost starting point guard Deron Williams, who
exited the contest late in the third quarter with a quadriceps contusion. Brook
Lopez paced the Nets with 18 points, with Williams totaling 12 points and six
assists prior to departing.
Houston 100, New Orleans 82
New Orleans,
LA (Sports Network) - James Harden registered a game-high 30 points, dished out
eight assists and grabbed four rebounds and Patrick Patterson registered a
double-double with 18 points and 13 boards, as the Houston Rockets picked up a
much-needed, 100-82, road victory over the New Orleans Hornets. Carlos Delfino
tallied 14 points and shot 4-of-6 from behind the arc, for the Rockets, who
have won two of their last three games following a seven- game losing skid.
Jeremy Lin scored 13 points, dished out eight helpers and had six steals in the
victory. Eric Gordon netted 20 points and Ryan Anderson added 19 for the
Hornets, who have lost two straight after winning seven of nine. Al-Farouq
Aminu and Anthony Davis contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively, in the
defeat.
Oklahoma City 105, Sacramento 95
Sacramento,
CA (Sports Network) - Kevin Durant scored 24 points and pulled down 11 rebounds
to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 105-95 win over the Sacramento Kings at
Sleep Train Arena. Russell Westbrook scored 18 points to go with a season-high
14 assists and Kevin Martin finished with 24 points for the Thunder, who have
won eight of their last 10. Tyreke Evans scored 16 points and DeMarcus Cousins
had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Kings, losers in three straight.
LA Lakers 102, Utah 84
Los Angeles,
CA (Sports Network) - Metta World Peace and Dwight Howard each scored 17
points, and the Los Angeles Lakers came away with a much-needed 102-84 victory
over the Utah Jazz to snap a four-game skid. Kobe Bryant played distributor
most of the night as the league's second leading scorer dished out a
season-high 14 assists to go with 14 points and nine rebounds in the wire-
to-wire victory. Howard also pulled down a game-high 13 boards, while Pau Gasol
and Steve Nash each netted 15 points for the victors. The Jazz allowed their
opponents to shoot 54 percent from the floor in having their four-game winning
streak snapped. Derrick Favors and fellow reserve Gordon Hayward paced Utah
with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
January
26
Philadelphia 97, New York 80
Philadelphia,
PA (Sports Network) - Jrue Holiday justified his recent selection to the
Eastern Conference All-Star team with a career-high night, leading the
Philadelphia 76ers to a 97-80 rout of the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo
Center. Shaking off a 3-for-12, nine-point performance in Tuesday's loss at
Milwaukee, Holiday racked up a personal-best 35 points along with six assists
to enable the 76ers to avenge a pair of double-digit losses to the Atlantic
Division-leading Knicks earlier in the season. Evan Turner and Nick Young added
20 points each to help Philadelphia win for only the third time in its last 11
outings. Carmelo Anthony paced the Knicks with 25 points, but went just 9-of-28
from the floor, and New York shot a poor 34.6 percent as a team while never
leading at any stage. Amare Stoudemire did make 8-of-13 field goal attempts in
turning in a season- best 20-point effort off the bench during the setback.
Cleveland 99, Toronto 98
Toronto, ON
(Sports Network) - Kyrie Irving's 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds left lifted the
Cleveland Cavaliers to a 99-98 win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.
Following a Jose Calderon layup with 12.6 seconds left, Irving took the
inbounds pass and casually strolled up court. As the seconds ticked away Irving
took one step to the basket then pulled up from well-behind the arc for the
game-winner. Calderon then tried to throw a lob from the left sideline, but the
pass was stolen by Alonzo Gee and the Cavs held on for their second
come-from-behind victory in as many days. They've won a season-best three in a
row. Irving, who was named to his first All-Star Game earlier this week,
finished with a game-high 32 points and has combined for 107 points over his
last three contests. Newly-acquired Marreese Speights scored 17 points off the
bench and Tristan Thompson added 14 points and eight rebounds for Cleveland.
Amir Johnson led the Raptors with 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Alan Anderson
finished with 17 points. Ed Davis scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds,
and DeMar DeRozan scored 15 for Toronto, which has dropped six of its last
eight games.
Washington 86, Chicago 73
Washington,
DC (Sports Network) - A physical battle in the post left Carlos Boozer clearly
frustrated. By the end of the game, the Chicago Bulls looked like a team that
was playing with fatigue. Emeka Okafor had 15 points and 16 rebounds as the
Washington Wizards upended the Bulls, 86-73, at Verizon Center. Nene totaled 16
points and John Wall contributed 15 points and seven assists in Washington's
seventh victory in 10 games. Kirk Hinrich, who had a season-high 25 points in
Chicago's 103-87 home win over Golden State on Friday, was limited to seven
points a night later. Joakim Noah barely missed a triple-double, as he finished
with nine points, 17 rebounds and tied a career- high with 10 assists for the
Bulls, whose three- game winning streak came to an end. Nate Robinson led the
way with 19 points in defeat. Chicago scored 29 points in the second half.
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| Emeka Okafor has become a double-double machine, anchoring the interior for Washington. (image by Mark J. Terrill/AP) |
Charlotte 102, Minnesota 101
Charlotte,
NC (Sports Network) - A streak had to end. And for the Charlotte Bobcats, their
pursuit toward an NBA record for ineptitude at home came to a halt. Gerald
Henderson's go-ahead 3-pointer with 4.6 seconds left lifted the Bobcats to a
102-101 triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves, ending Charlotte's 16-game
home losing streak. The Bobcats were three more consecutive home losses from
setting an NBA record set by the Dallas Mavericks during the 1993-94 season.
Kemba Walker tallied 25 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, while
Henderson added 15 points for Charlotte, which registered its first victory at
Time Warner Cable Arena since Nov. 21. J.J. Barea's jumper at the buzzer was
blocked by Walker. Luke Ridnour had 22 points to lead the Timberwolves, who
have dropped nine of 10 overall and seven straight on the road.
Houston 119, Brooklyn 106
Houston, TX
(Sports Network) - James Harden had 29 points and seven assists in the Houston
Rockets' 119-106 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. Omer Asik added 20 points and
16 rebounds for the Rockets, who have won 12 in a row against the Nets. Jeremy
Lin tallied 14 points and nine helpers, while Chandler Parsons registered 16
points, 11 assists and six boards in the win. Deron Williams recorded 27 points
and 11 assists for Brooklyn, which has dropped two straight after winning 10 of
its previous 11.
Milwaukee 109, Golden State 102
Milwaukee,
WI (Sports Network) - Monta Ellis put the dagger in his former team with a late
3-pointer, as the Milwaukee Bucks edged the Golden State Warriors, 109-102, at
Bradley Center. Ellis and Brandon Jennings poured in 20 points apiece in the
Bucks' seventh win in 10 games under head coach Jim Boylan. Ersan Ilyasova and
Larry Sanders each posted double-doubles in the victory, with the former
totaling 18 points and 12 rebounds and the latter chipping in 16 points, 11
boards and three blocks. Golden State has dropped the first two tests on its
four-game road trip. Stephen Curry paced the Warriors with 26 points to go with
seven assists.
San Antonio 108, Phoenix 99
San Antonio,
TX (Sports Network) - Tony Parker scored 11 of his game-high 31 points in the
final quarter to help the San Antonio Spurs to their eighth straight win, 108-99,
over the Phoenix Suns. Manu Ginobili added 20 points off the bench for the
Spurs, who also received 13 points and eight rebounds from Tiago Splitter. San
Antonio, which was without future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan (knee) and coach
Gregg Popovich (illness) for a third straight game, got 11 points from Boris
Diaw and 10 from Stephen Jackson in its 16th straight home win. The Spurs went
12-of-19 from the field in the final quarter. Michael Beasley had 25 points and
Jared Dudley scored 23 for the Suns, who have lost seven in a row on the road
in this series.
Denver 121, Sacramento 93
Denver, CO
(Sports Network) - Ty Lawson scored 26 points, Andre Iguodala added 20 and the
Denver Nuggets opened a six-game homestand with a dominating 121-93 victory
over the Sacramento Kings. Danilo Gallinari chipped in 14 points, while Kenneth
Faried totaled 11 points and nine rebounds for the Nuggets, who shot 61 percent
from the field through the first three quarters and had 101 points heading into
the fourth. Denver connected on a season-high 13 3- pointers and led by as many
as 35 in winning their third straight game with relative ease. The Kings, led
by Aaron Brooks' 16 points, opened their six- game road trip with a fourth
consecutive loss.
Utah 114, Indiana 110 (OT)
Salt Lake
City, UT (Sports Network) - Al Jefferson scored 25 points and Paul Millsap
added 21 points and five steals to lead the Utah Jazz to a controversial,
114-110, overtime win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. Trailing 112-107
with 6.4 seconds left, George Hill nailed a deep 3-pointer to pull the Pacers
within 112-10 with just 2.2 ticks showing. Millsap then appeared to throw the
inbounds pass off the backboard then caught the carom in bounds and was quickly
fouled. The officials huddled briefly to discuss the play, but ruled the ball
hit the side of the backboard -- which is considered in play -- and Millsap
sunk the ensuing free throws. Five sides of the backboard -- the front, both
sides and both the top and bottom -- are considered in play, and anything
behind the backboard is considered out of bounds. David West's pass on the
ensuing inbounds play sailed out of bounds and the Jazz held on for the win.
Gordon Hayward scored 15 points and dished out six assists, Randy Foye scored
14 points and Derrick Favors added 11 for the Jazz, who improved to 15-4 at
EnergySolutions Arena this season. West finished with 24 points, Paul George
added 23 and Hill finished with 22 for the Pacers, who dropped back-to-back
games for the first time since dropping two straight on Dec. 7 and Dec. 9.
Portland 101, LA Clippers 100
Portland, OR
(Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Clippers have missed their closer over the
last three games. A pair of J.J. Hickson go-ahead free throws with 45.2 seconds
remaining lifted the Portland Trail Blazers to a 101-100 triumph over the Chris
Paul-less Clippers. Portland netted the final 10 points of the contest. Without
Paul in the lineup, Los Angeles didn't tally a point over the final 2:38. Paul
sat out his third contest in a row with a bruised right kneecap, an injury
which has caused him to miss six tilts so far this season. The Clippers have
lost a season-high four straight since winning 24 of 27. The team is 3-3
without Paul overall this year. Nicolas Batum registered a triple-double with
20 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, while Damian Lillard added 20 points for
Portland, which has won two straight on the heels of a six-game losing streak.
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