Washington Scored 122 and Still Lost by Nine. That's the Problem.

A team gives you 122 points at home and you still lose by nine? Yeah, somebody better bring the defense to practice tomorrow.

Brooklyn beat Washington 131–122 on Monday. Michael Porter Jr. put up 22 points for the Nets, while Julius Randle added 14 points and nine assists. For Washington, Kyshawn George scored 21 and Bilal Coulibaly added 19. The Wizards had enough offensive production to make this interesting. What they didn't have was enough resistance on the other end.

This wasn't just one bad shooting quarter

Brooklyn shot 56.8% overall and made 17 threes. Washington hit 17 threes too, and the Wizards were a strong 27-for-29 from the line. But being efficient offensively doesn't mean much when the other team is scoring with nearly the same freedom.

Washington was only down 73–72 at halftime. The Nets then took the third quarter 30–22. That stretch mattered because suddenly all those pretty first-half possessions weren't doing much to change the game.

George's 21 points and four assists are encouraging, and a preseason lineup isn't a finished product. Still, I don't wanna hear about all the recognizable names on the Wizards roster if every game turns into trading buckets. Trae Young can help organize an offense, Anthony Davis brings a defensive pedigree, and the younger players have serious upside. None of that excuses a team giving up 131.

The numbers make it worse

The Nets shot 56.8% overall and made 17 threes; Washington also knocked down 17 from deep and almost couldn't miss at the foul line. So the Wizards weren't losing because nobody could get a bucket. They were losing because every time they got one, Brooklyn had an answer that looked way too easy.

Michael Porter Jr. finished with 22 for the Nets, and Julius Randle contributed 14 points and nine assists. You can't just point to one hot player and act like that's why you surrendered 131. When the opposing team gets that many quality looks, somewhere the help, rotations and communication aren't getting the job done.

The third quarter should've been the wake-up call

Washington trailed just 73–72 at halftime. That's the kind of game you can absolutely win at home if you make one adjustment. Instead, Brooklyn won the third 30–22. Bullets Forever described a costly 15–2 Nets run late in the period as Washington's offense stalled and possessions swung the other way.

George scored 21 with four assists and three steals, and Coulibaly added 19. Those are real positives for young players trying to earn responsibility. But I'm not grading Washington on whether a single player looked exciting while the team was getting outscored. I want somebody to tell me how they plan to stop giving up open looks.

My take: the name recognition isn't enough

Trae can make the offense look prettier. Anthony Davis has the physical tools to change a defense. A.J. Dybantsa gives them another talented young player. None of that is a substitute for knowing who picks up the ball, who rotates, and who takes responsibility when the first defender gets beat.

I love seeing young Washington players show out, but we have got to stop confusing offensive highlights with overall progress. If this team wants people to take the next step seriously, start by making the other team's shots harder. It shouldn't take 140 points to win your own damn home game.

If you put up 122 and lose by nine, somebody better bring some defense to the next practice.6ix / 6ixtv