The returns of Rui Hachimura and Thomas Bryant in mid-January could have been the ideal solution for Wes Unseld Jr. After a successful start to the season, the Wizards had skated for long weeks, and the transition to a full roster could only revive them.
Except that the reverse happened. The coach has a lot of players available, he has to find playing time for some without frustrating the others. The balance is difficult to find. The proof, against Boston, he launched 14 players in the game!
” Yes “, he replies when asked if he has used too many players recently, in remarks reported by NBC Sports. “We integrate two starters from last season, we have to do it, even if it’s frustrating sometimes and the playing times are irregular since the guys don’t have their usual minutes. Having 11-12 players is often difficult. “
Deni Avdija can testify to this, even if he is not the only one. He who was entitled to more than 20 minutes on average found himself on the floor only 180 seconds against the Sixers on January 17. Montrezl Harrell only played 7 minutes against Boston when incumbent Daniel Gafford saw his playing time halved since the return of Thomas Bryant.
“I try to find the right combination to win”
Wes Unseld Jr. is tinkering, looking for his rotation (which he will undoubtedly decrease), and some players are seeing their minutes fluctuate. A difficult situation to manage as the “trade deadline” approaches, with their rumors.
“It’s a strange moment for everyone, and we’re in a complicated part of the season. Players think about it, it’s real,” confirms the coach. “But they are not with us by chance, we want as much talent as possible to have depth and flexibility. That’s what makes us win matches. It’s not an opportunity for me to shine guys, I’m trying to find the right combination to win. “
Still to solve the current problems, the coach took advantage of the three days without a match, so important according to Bradley Beal for the rest of the season, to review, with his players, the second period against the Clippers, this meeting during which the Wizards squandered a 35-point lead.
“It is indeed unusual”, recognize the coach, evoking the fact of reviewing a half-time in its entirety. “But this game was too. There was dialogue, the feelings of each. It’s very good, the more we do this kind of thing, the better. Players talk about things that may not have been clear between them. It allows for clarity. “
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Bradley Beal | 39 | 36.0 | 45.5 | 30.1 | 83.7 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 6.5 | 3.4 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 23.6 |
| Kyle Kuzma | 45 | 33.1 | 45.1 | 32.5 | 68.8 | 1.1 | 7.7 | 8.9 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 15.7 |
| Montrezl Harrell | 41 | 24.5 | 65.2 | 28.6 | 72.9 | 2.2 | 4.9 | 7.0 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 14.1 |
| Spencer Dinwiddie | 39 | 30.6 | 38.8 | 31.4 | 81.4 | 0.8 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 5.7 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 13.3 |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | 45 | 29.5 | 41.2 | 37.2 | 87.7 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 11.4 |
| Daniel Gafford | 45 | 21.2 | 68.9 | 0.0 | 75.0 | 2.2 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 9.2 |
| Rui Hachimura | 9 | 15.7 | 41.9 | 36.8 | 75.0 | 0.2 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 7.9 |
| Thomas Bryant | 7 | 14.5 | 48.8 | 33.3 | 69.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 7.7 |
| Deni Avdija | 48 | 22.6 | 44.6 | 30.8 | 72.9 | 0.7 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 7.4 |
| Raulzinho Neto | 40 | 19.7 | 44.7 | 22.4 | 75.9 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 7.3 |
| Brad Wanamaker | 1 | 27.1 | 40.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 7.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 7.0 |
| Aaron Holiday | 36 | 15.8 | 47.3 | 37.5 | 80.8 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 6.1 |
| Davis Bertans | 32 | 15.2 | 35.1 | 32.4 | 93.1 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 6.0 |
| Corey Kispert | 43 | 18.2 | 43.1 | 32.2 | 86.8 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 5.8 |
| Greg Monroe | 2 | 8.8 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 5.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| Anthony Gill | 18 | 6.3 | 66.7 | 71.4 | 83.3 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 2.8 |
| Craig Sword | 3 | 6.3 | 75.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 2.0 |
| Tremont Waters | 1 | 8.4 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Isaiah Todd | 9 | 3.9 | 33.3 | 40.0 | 50.0 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.8 |
| Alize Johnson | 3 | 6.1 | 33.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 |
| Cassius Winston | 2 | 3.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Joel Ayayi | 7 | 2.9 | 16.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Jaime Echenique | 1 | 3.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jordan Schakel | 2 | 7.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jordan Goodwin | 2 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
