Anthony Davis gave the Washington Wizards exactly the kind of scoring burst that usually changes a game, and it still wasn’t enough.
Davis poured in 44 points on 16-for-20 shooting in a 122-111 loss to the Detroit Pistons, turning in his first 40-point performance since his Los Angeles Lakers days, two teams ago. He also delivered the first 30-point half anyone has put together to open the season, blasting through the first 24 minutes with 30 points and finishing with one of the most efficient scoring nights anyone has produced this year.
Even with Davis attacking from the perimeter, finishing through contact and cleaning up misses around the rim, Washington dropped its fourth straight game. The final margin made it look closer than it was. The Wizards were behind the game in a much bigger way than the scoreboard suggested, and the loss pushed them to 4-7.
The most obvious problem was the play from Davis’ backcourt partner. He came into Detroit shooting under 40% from the field for the first time in his career, and that slide continued with a 6-for-17 night.
The concern isn’t just the missed threes. He’s not creating separation, and the tough shots have started to swallow the floaters that used to be such a reliable part of his game.
A player who’s long been one of the league’s biggest believers in the in-between game missed several of the short looks he used to make look routine.
Detroit also made life miserable for Washington’s offense by crowding the Wizards’ primary distributor and forcing the ball out of his hands. The Pistons joined the growing list of teams that have used size and depth to bottle up Washington’s version of Young.
Turnovers only made the night worse. Washington gave the ball away 18 times, compared with 10 for Detroit, and Dybantsa and George were responsible for five apiece.
Some of those mistakes came from drives into traffic with nowhere to go. Others were self-inflicted, with careless dump-off passes finding the wrong jersey.
Detroit deserves credit for turning those mistakes into fast-break chances, but the bigger issue was Washington’s shaky passing and the lack of experience on the wings.
Four of Washington’s five starters finished in double figures, but the bench gave the team almost nothing. Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington and Deandre Ayton, the only regularly trusted reserve options among the mostly healthy group, combined for just five points until garbage time. Ayton had chances around the rim he didn’t finish, but Johnson and Carrington were the bigger concern as the supposed floor-spacers across 48 combined minutes.
Carrington had a rough night, even if he’ll still be hovering near 50% from three when Basketball Reference updates his numbers. Johnson’s start has been even uglier.
He opened 0-for-7 from the floor before finally getting one to fall late in the fourth quarter, a stretch that only deepens the shooting slump and raises more questions about his role. Does head coach Brian Keefe give Bilal Coulibaly more minutes when he returns?
Does Carrington get a longer leash? Does Keefe change the substitution pattern?
Those answers are still ahead.
For now, the numbers tell the story: Washington’s losing streak now matches its total wins on the season, and the bench production isn’t nearly enough to support the rest of the rotation. Detroit’s second unit outplayed Washington’s reserves, and three Pistons starters scored 20 or more on the second night of a back-to-back. There’s plenty for the Wizards to sort through on their day off.
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