NBA players and coaches often speak about “another level” to the game of basketball that fans simply aren’t capable of seeing. This extra level of knowledge required means that most people can’t comprehend the full ramifications of various X’s and O’s adjustments.
But sometimes, the adjustments are just as easy as they seem on the surface. With Detroit center Andre Drummond out on Monday, the Wizards’ strategy became one that any amateur could have suggested: attack the rim. And it worked to perfection.
Washington beat the Detroit Pistons 101-87 on Martin Luther King Day, pulling the Wizards level with the Pistons for the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference.