Washington Wizards Kyshawn George (18) and Bub Carrington (7) Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Wizards Defense Must Improve vs. 76ers

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Lane Mills | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 3:00 PM ET

No team wants to sink to sub .500 right off the rip of a brand new season of basketball. The Washington Wizards, despite scoring 115+ points in each of their first three games, find themselves at 1-2 with a recently overhauled roster that, in spite of their own potential, have yet to find a way to develop it.

One-Sided Basketball

In their most recent outing - their season home-opener - against the Charlotte Hornets, the Wizards' 113 points weren't enough to overcome 139 from the Hornets. The defeat represented one of the worst Wizards defensive performances in recent memory, especially considering that 88 of Charlotte's scoring total came in the second half.

For some perspective, Washington's previous opponent, the Dallas Mavericks, scored just 92 points in the entirety of their own season-opener against the San Antonio Spurs. Even in their win over Dallas, that below-triple-digit total rose to 107. A clear discrepancy currently exists between one side of the floor and the other for the Wizards, and overshadowing their scorching scoring ability is their equal inability to stop other teams from doing the same thing.

Coming to the district next is the in-conference suitor Philadelphia 76ers. At 2-0, Philly comes into town in a rare healthy state as expected Eastern Conference competitors still without a reason to doubt that goal.

Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Path to Victory (or Defeat)

No matter how much the Wizards score, if they want to win on a consistent basis, they're going to have to find a way to stop the ball. All the same, this agitating issue for a partly-complete basketball team isn't unusual for a roster stacked with first and second year players.

Early-career guys, particularly those geared with offensive capabilities like Tre Johnson and Kyshawn George, tend to pick up the scoring excellence with much greater ease than the defensive coutnerpart. To that point, it'll likely take time before those names and more round out their games in a way that benefits the Wizards beyond their point total.

Of course, that doesn't exactly bode well for the time with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and (for now) Kelly Oubre Jr. leading the opposite charge.

That trio alone combined for 67 points in the 76ers 125-121 win over the same Charlotte Hornets team that just toppled Washington with ease. Whether or not Washington will score enough to stay in the game is out of the question, but if their defense can't pick up the remaining slack, it's hard to imagine that their already twice-produced result will be uncommon in the near future.

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

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