Three Takeaways From Wizards Loss to Trailblazers

With the highs come the lows. Coming off two straight wins, including wins over playoff teams, the Washington Wizards had momentum on their side, but in the NBA, any team can win on any given night. This was Portland's night.

It was also Deni Avdija's revenge game versus Washington. In the offseason, Avdija was traded from Washington in what he describes as a "hard" trade. Loved by the fanbase and team, he was a necessary casualty of the war of rebuilds. Let's get into the three takeaways from last night's loss.

Turnovers Continue to Plague Wizards

The biggest factor in last night's loss was the Wizards turnovers. Committing turnovers has been a recurrent issue all season long and it's an issue that won't be fixed till the offseason. They committed 16 turnovers in the loss, which turned into 20 points for the Blazers.

Ball security should be a priority, and it wasn't last night.

Should Have, Could Have, Would Have

Yes, the Wizards should have traded Kyle Kuzma instead of Deni Avdija but it is what it is. Avdija is flourishing in Portland, and Bub Carrington looks like a two-way microwave-scoring combo guard who will be a key contributor in DC, so everybody won per se.

It doesn't stop you from wondering how good this team could have been with Deni still on the team and still drafting Carrington and Kyshawn George. You could argue that they would have been a .500 team. Sometimes, you have to make risky or unpopular choices for the greater good. That's what separates the good GM from the bad.

They Want to See What They Have

In the loss, 11 Wizards played, including AJ Johnson, who started, Colby Jones, and Tristan Vukcevic. Three players who could be solid role players and depth for the Wizards going forward.

With wealth, comes responsibility. The Wizards have a lot of young talent and when you look at the fact that they have 4 1st round picks in the next two drafts that happen to be loaded with talent. You can't pay all of them in the long-term and leading into next season, they're going to continue to evaluate who is part of the future and who's not. Stay tuned