Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27) and Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images / Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Wizards Defense Flounders in Home-Opener Loss

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Lane Mills | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 9:05 AM ET

Through the first half of their home-opening match against the Charlotte Hornets, the Washington Wizards appeared both primed for their second win of the season and in the best spot, both in potential and current prowess, that the team has been in within remote recent memory.

That is, until the Hornets, led by a staggering 38-point performance from star guard LaMelo Ball, posted two 44-point quarters straight to rout Washington on their home floor. Now, the Wizards sit at 1-2 with the same air of expected disappointment that plagued them well before this season began. So, especially after the roster has already improved, where does the team's Achilles' heel lie?

Following the Wrong Trends

As is most often the case with a subpar modern NBA team, the Wizards are struggling to find so much as a semblance of a stop on the defensive end. The Hornets alone posted 139 points against Washington in an embarrassing display from the home team's score-stopping effort; though D.C.'s inability to stop Charlotte was no surprise, even just three games into the new year.

In fact, it represents one of the few ongoing trends for the Wizards' overhauled roster thus far, with the only positive being that they still have plenty of time to fix it going forward.

Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images / Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

A Generous Point Allowance

In their season-opener defeat on the road versus the Milwaukee Bucks, Washington, despite scoring 120 of their own, fell to a Bucks team that tallied a whopping 133. Even in their lone win thus far, also away from home against the Dallas Mavericks, the Wizards' allowed a Kyrie Irving-less Mavs team to score 107 just days after barely breaking 90 against a much better San Antonio Spurs roster.

Given more defensive angst - and, truly, little to no other adjustments - Washington's fiery scoring ability could have them at two, maybe even three, wins by this point. It's a matter of playing a complete game of basketball that the Wizards have just not yet achieved, even if the one aspect of the game they do manage, they do so in spades.

Going forward, Washington should look to get their younger talent - Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson, to name a few - involved on the defensive end. If the team wants to build around that talent in the future, they'll have to set themselves apart by being (at least) good on both ends of the floor. For now, the scoring is just ridden with potential in the face of a naive defense.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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