- The Washington Times - Sunday, May 30, 2021

Moments after the Wizards’ Game 3 loss, guard Bradley Beal said he sat in the locker room and contemplated the reality of Washington’s situation. It dawned on him that he had never been in a 3-0 deficit before.

Until now. 

“It’s tough obviously,” Beal said. “You don’t want to give in to what the record says.” 

The Wizards’ season can officially end Monday with another loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, who can complete the first-round sweep in Game 4. For much of the series, the Wizards have looked overmatched: They’ve lost three games by a combined total of 61 points. Washington fought so hard to get into the postseason, only to discover the massive gap that remains between themselves and the East’s top-seeded team.

Technically, the series isn’t over yet. But no team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 hole.

In any case, the Wizards have learned some hard lessons from the beatdown that Philadelphia has administered.

The 76ers have highlighted the flaws in Washington’s roster. The Wizards lack the size to match up with athletic wings like Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris. They lack the shooters to keep up with Philadelphia’s 3-point barrage. And the Wizards need to find more consistent offense to support Beal and Russell Westbrook.

“I’m a huge fan of the word ‘embrace,’ embracing everything you can,” Beal said. “This stage, this life, embracing the situation you’re in. It’s the same thing with this: Embrace where you are. … We have had growing pains along the way, but those are going to happen.”

The Wizards have spent the last two years rebuilding their roster just to get back to the same seed they were when the Toronto Raptors bounced them from the playoffs in 2018.

Washington, like before, is strapped against the salary cap. Beal and Westbrook each have max salaries and other big deals like Davis Bertans’ five-year, $80 million contract mean that the Wizards’ front office will have limited options to look for upgrades in the offseason. 

The major difference this time around, however, is that these Wizards have a younger supporting cast that is still growing.  Rookie Deni Avdija, the ninth overall pick, hasn’t played against Philadelphia as his season ended last month due to a broken leg. Rui Hachimura, the ninth overall pick in 2019, has had three rough games against the 76ers, but the Wizards are banking on that he’s far from a finished product. 

The second-year forward will have to make bigger strides defensively. He’s also gotten into early foul trouble that has taken him off the floor. 

“He’s gaining experience guarding some really talented players,” coach Scott Brooks said of Hachimura. “They’re not one-dimensional players. … These are all good experiences for him.”

Brooks’ future will come into question whenever the Wizards’ season is done, whether that’s Monday or later in the week. His contract is set to expire and there’s no guarantee Washington will retain him. 

If the Wizards decide to go in a new direction, they’ll have to find someone who can further develop pieces like Hachimura and Avdija, while getting the most of Beal and Westbrook.

If Brooks is brought back — he did guide them to a 17-6 run to end the regular season — Washington will still have to look for roster upgrades. The team is missing the 3-and-D type wing that has become all the rage in today’s NBA — but they don’t come cheap and aren’t easy to find. 

Washington also needs better 3-point shooting — the Wizards are just 18 of 77 from beyond the arc against Philadelphia and ranked 26th (34.7%) in the regular season. 

But first, the Wizards have another game to play. 

“I’m not interested in talking about the future,” Brooks said. 

• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.

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