![\"Wizards](\"https:\/\/platform.bulletsforever.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-2257073903.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWizards guard Tre Johnson played a solid game in the team\u2019s loss to the Denver Nuggets. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Despite both teams missing loads of shots, they combined for 17 total transition points \u2014 nine for the Wizards, and eight for the the Nuggets. The Nuggets walked the ball up the floor on many possessions. They exhibited relatively disciplined shot selection and won just enough possessions to get the win.<\/p>\n
The Wizards, who usually push the ball up the floor quickly after opponent makes or misses, were content to walk it up themselves. Unlike the Nuggets, they were far more likely to take a quick shot. If there was a theme in this game, it was Washington working hard individually to get a difficult shot, and the Nuggets working as a team to get better ones.<\/p>\n
This was certainly not a rule. Jamal Murray had a \u201cMurray Flurry\u201d (as dubbed by the Nuggets broadcast) in the third quarter that was heavy on isos. Peyton Watson had a few terrific one-on-one play. In general, though, the Nuggets would run actions and move ball and players until they got an advantage, and then attack.<\/p>\n
Watson played great for the Nuggets \u2014 a career-high 35 points along with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks. He took a hard fall when he got clotheslined trying to dunk on Khris Middleton after earlier turning his ankle landing after scoring a highlight-reel bucked on Alex Sarr. His emergence as a quality offensive option is a great development for Denver \u2014 made possible by Nikola Jokic\u2019s knee injury.<\/p>\n
While transition defense wasn\u2019t much of an issue last night (the Nuggets were apparently too tired to run), one play early in the game exemplified the team\u2019s struggles defending in transition. Denver came up with a steal and Murray started up the floor. Tre Johnson was the only defender back \u2014 two Nuggets players were ahead of the ball. Johnson had to choose \u2014 match up with his man on the wing or pick up Aaron Gordon in the center of the floor. Correct prioritization would have sent him to Gordon. Johnson went to the wing. That left Gordon alone under the rim for an easy dunk.I could be wrong on this one, but\u2026there was an offensive fast break I think the Wizards got wrong. They had a three-on-two. Kyshawn George had the ball and was dribbling to the offensive end right-of-center of the court. To his left was Sarr in the middle and Will Riley on the wing. To me, the right play would have been for George to go to the middle and for Sarr to cross over to get on his right \u2014 ball in the middle flanked by offensive players. Another option could have been for George to move further right to open more of a lane for Sarr to come down the middle of the lane and force a Denver defender to guard two guys. Instead, George dribbled straight up the floor, Sarr and Riley ran their lanes, and Denver defenders never had to make a real decision. The tight spacing gave George only two real options \u2014 drive into two defenders or kick it out to Riley on the wing. The tight spacing meant there was a relatively short closeout. Riley missed the three-point attempt, and the Wizards didn\u2019t score on a three-on-two break.George was this close to having an impressive game, despite shooting just 6-17 from the floor. He had 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and a steal. The three turnovers were acceptable given the assists and his overall offensive load. He\u2019s gotta stop fouling so much \u2014 especially the pointless tantrumy ones.The spate of \u201cinjuries\u201d meant that Anthony Gill got rotation minutes, and he wasn\u2019t bad.One good thing: unlike their last matchup with the Nuggets, I didn\u2019t see the Wizards helping off Murray. He had to work harder to generate offense.<\/p>\n
Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball \u2014 shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).<\/p>\n
The four factors are measured by:<\/p>\n
eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)TOV% (turnover percentage \u2014 turnovers divided by possessions)FTM\/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)FOUR FACTORSNUGGETSWIZARDSLGAVGeFG%50.0%45.8%54.4%OREB%28.2%28.6%26.1%TOV%11.8%15.1%12.8%FTM\/FGA0.2890.2380.211PACE9399.6ORTG115104115.7<\/p>\n
PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).<\/p>\n