Kristaps Porzingis, symbol of the defensive progress of the Wizards

You can find everything in the advanced stats, and there is a column dedicated to points received on individual defense on pick-and-roll. They are our colleagues from The Ringer who extracted this data to illustrate the defensive progress of the Wizards, and more particularly of Kristaps Porzingis. Among the 25 players who find themselves defending the most in pick-and-roll situations, the Latvian is the player who collects the fewest points: 0.78 per possession.

Despite his 2m20, the former Knicks Unicorn has never been a bully, nor a great defender. He was also trapped for a long time on feints from smaller players. But in Washington, he has found an environment and systems where he can be effective.

“The coaches just try to put me up against players who aren’t necessarily good shooters so that I can step back more and help my teammates” observes Porzingis. “I try to do it as well as possible, and I find that the staff does a very good job of using everyone according to their qualities and characteristics, and putting them in the best possible position”.

In other words, Wes Unseld Jr. puts his inside in the center of the key, and he doesn’t defend against a slippery inside who can punish from afar. Against Wolves, Porzingis will therefore defend on Rudy Gobert and not Karl-Anthony Towns.

“I think it’s about being close to the basket, and being as active as possible” continues Porzingis, while his coach praises his qualities as a defender. “With the activity of his hands and his wingspan, he has an impact on the percentage of success near the circle. When guys get in the racket to finish at the circle, they think twice about it. If they put in floaters despite the defense, it has to be accepted, but he and Gaff are doing a tremendous job defensively near the circle. »

More than 13 contested shots per game

After 18 matches, Washington is positioned in 6th place, synonymous with the playoffs. Their defense is the 8th in the entire NBA, and it’s been 10 years since the Wizards were so well ranked in this sector. The activity of Porzingis and Daniel Gafford allows them to limit the points in the racket to 45.4 points per game. This is the 5th best record in the entire NBA.

As for the players defended by Porzingis, they see their shooting skills lose about 7 points per game, compared to their usual average. Even if he does not counter everything that moves, Porzingis is on the podium players who contest the most shots : more than 13 per game. In front of him, Brook Lopez and Ivica Zubac. Rudy Gobert is 10th with 10 contested shots per game.

Generally speaking, the Wizards don’t have great defensemen, but Wes Unseld Jr. has found the right systems, and arguably the right words, to get the best out of everyone.