Defensive Focus PARAMOUNT for Washington Wizards This Offseason | Washington Wizards Podcast

Defensive Focus PARAMOUNT for Washington Wizards This Offseason | Washington Wizards Podcast

the Washington Wizards must prioritize building up its defensive prowess in this draft and offseason if they want to take a step forward as a franchise we’re going to tell you why that’s right now here on Locked on Wizards you are Locked on Wizards your daily Washington Wizards podcast part of the Locked On Network your team every day dc family thanks for making Lockdown Wizards your first listen every day part of the Lockdown podcast network your team every day alongside my co-host and diehard Wizards fan that provides hometown insights and passion for his beloved Wizards Abdullah Aubi i’m Ben Strober a producer who has been covering Washington sports for 1067 the fan and the team 980 and we are so happy to be with you this is our second episode together and we have a lot to get into today but first uh wouldn’t be one of our episodes here if we didn’t get into one of our sponsors right away here and let’s take a little bit of time to talk about our sponsor this episode is brought to you by Monarch Money take control of your finances with Monarch Money use code lockon MBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year with that being said Abdullah let’s get into this thing the Wizards last year were still the bottom of the barrel defensively finished around 28th out of 30 in the NBA we saw improvements from the year before but it’s no question that the Wizards are going to have to get better defensively from an individual standpoint and from an overall team standpoint we just are recording right now right after game two of the NBA finals Oklahoma City Thunder uh win game two at home and even the series before it heads back to Indiana but what I saw in that game was phenomenal team defense for from Oklahoma City and I think Washington needs to kind of model a similar team defense uh you know from that standpoint in order to be successful next year and for years to come no I definitely agree with you Ben i think and they were hounding Indiana tonight and that’s that that’s been the theme of this Oklahoma City team all year yeah you have scorers and Shay goes Alexander the MVP Chet Homegrren you also have Jaylen Williams Wallace all these guys defensively that are just bringing in the tenacity and that’s what we need here in DC and for so long of last year at least the second half of the season we saw it better improvement defensively compared to the first half because the young guys were given more opportunities but again Will Dawkins that’s one reason why we brought him here he had those 15 years of experience in OKC so we’re hopefully him transitioning this roster to be versatile i think that’s a big thing you look at Bob Carrington a guy that got drafted from a trade denia and he came in a 65 guard that can rebound the ball but also play defensively also dish the ball keshan George with his size can shoot it from three alex R I think can be a top five top seven rim protector in this league so it’s going to take some time and it’s going to be major slight improvements but with in due time the Wizards I think they have to be better defensively because the bar is set so low from last year but hopefully with pick six and pick 18 they get a guy that can definitely help you at least night in and night out not lose the paint battle every night because that was a common theme that we saw last year just teams easily getting paints getting points in the paint against the Wizards so hopefully this upcoming draft Will Dawkins will capitalize and get that key guy that can help this team defensively you know you and I touched on the idea of direction and the organization finally having direction under this new regime and one of the things that’s part of the direction not just the rebuild is trying to mold a defensive identity we have seen that from the moves that Will Dawkins has made and how Brian Keefe has has tried to instill his coaching style to these players and it’s funny that we have that point now we’ve reached that point as Wizard fans where you know we see the organization putting an emphasis on defense because uh to be quite frank four years ago in 2021 uh we were fooled we were fooled by Wes Sunsell Jr at the time we had this idea that when you know we hired him as the head coach after being an assistant in Denver for quite some time that he was this defensive guru he was going to build a team that was stout defensively i mean it worked out for the first two weeks of the year the Wizards were 10 and three never never forget never forget that 10 and three you were the first seed the Eastern Conference never forget MVP chance for Montre Herald never forget that but you know let’s move on from that standpoint that obviously wasn’t in the cards for this Wizards team but I think the moves that the Wizards front office have made have proven why they can be a good team defensively we haven’t seen the pieces come together yet and I think that’s why this draft and this off season is going to be so important Abdullah because they’re going to need to pick up a piece whether it’s another big man to pair alongside Alex Sar another guard that can serve as a two-way player and get it done on both sides of the floor the Wizards need somebody that can be a pest defensively whether it’s around the rim or on the perimeter don’t you agree yeah I definitely agree and um I know you’re a big UMD guy so close your ears here Ben but common Malawatch is a name that I’ve been hearing a lot when it comes to his frame and his elite potential to be that kind of rim protector he’s there the pick and roll game is there that’s a guy we’re going to talk about AC New soon i know Derrick Queen offensively is a great offensively but defensively there is some question there so we can talk about that too but Mwatch is a guy especially people are saying if you pair him and Sar together they can be really really compatible but we just have to see there’s so many ways to look at this because if the Wizards are picking at six and we we talked about this yesterday I feel like we’re going to sound like a broken record for the next three weeks here Abdullah about Trey Johnson being available at six if he is how the Wizards should absolutely be taking him and you know the only really fault to his game that we’ve seen in all the writeups that have been done and everyone that’s watched him play is they’re unsure of his defensive tendencies and that scares me a little bit as a fan and obviously he can fill it in from beyond the arc and he is going to be a prolific scorer at the next level i’m very confident that he’s going to score the basketball well however if the Wizards are trying to build something with an identity that is focused around playing great team defense would a guy like Trey Johnson hinder that in a way i mean what do how do you feel about that yeah so that’s that’s interesting because I think his size he’s like 66 so he does have good size to play that’s one thing that’s one that’s yeah that’s one thing that I definitely give him over Jeremiah Fears outside of scoring is that at least the size is there so defensive defensively he could get better but also I think with the likes of Bal Koulali um Alex Sar some other guys that could be really good here defensively i don’t think there’s going to be that much pressure on Trey Johnson especially since he’s going to be the our point guard if he’s there at six to be that defensive guy but then again but then again this is a big reason why when we talk about Jeremiah FZ also brought up Jaylen Brunson down the when it comes to playoff scenarios that guy’s going to get picked on especially if their best player is the point guard so it’s just something you really have to consider and is potential problem that you could have where your guy point guard and Trey Johnson could be hindering you defensively down the stretch of the season yeah absolutely and I mean it just it keeps coming back to this for me when I think of draft prospects because every time I think about this Wizards team and defensive identity I just keep thinking about the name VJ Edgecomb and I know that’s a prospect that I I mean honestly I don’t know at this point because I’ve been so confused Abdul on on where players really stand in this draft because we’ve seen so many players falling all over the place there are people I mean like the the podcast you did a week ago about Jeremiah Theaters potentially skyrocketing up the boards johnson could be falling Edge Cob could be falling it’s just very tough to tell who’s going to be available at that time but where do you stand on a prospect like VJ Edgecom a guy that could be a fantastic two-way player in the NBA yeah so for me I I don’t think he’s going to be there at six but that’s that’s what it seems like yeah but if somehow he is there for me I’m still taking a guy in Trey Johnson over him just because I think this the the scoring potential is there and VJ Edgecom don’t get me wrong great two-way player in Baylor but the the what Trey Johnson did in the SEC as a freshman winning SEC freshman of the year just how young he is he’s only going to get better and when it comes to wings I mean you have a guy in Bal Koulali you have Keshan George maybe you can get a guy at pick 18 i think right now and I know you have Jordan Pool and I still don’t know what his future is here in DC do you trade him and for me Ben there’s a possibility of Bill Dawkins doing what he did last year and just shocking all of Wizards Nation and trading u trade Daniel last year and now you trade Jordan Pool this year during the draft so maybe you trade Jordan Pool you get a point guard at six and then eventually you get a wing later on the draft it’s a possibility yeah I mean that’s a fantastic point that you bring up right there because I think Jordan P is a really good player and I’m not sure where he’s going to fit in this time real quick while we still have a little bit of time where we focused on the defense obviously Marcus Smart comes over to this Wizards organization in the trade uh with Memphis down the stretch last year how do you feel like he impacts a lot of these young players just from a defensive standpoint because Marcus Smart obviously as we know has been one of the better defenders in the NBA for the past decade or so yeah know I think former defensive player of the year has always been always been that guy that’s just been getting in uh people’s faces guy that can set the tone i think a big thing about him being a mentor when he came into DC last year he could have easily been a lot of these veterans in today’s NBA just not play or take time off and just sit on the bench but he wanted to get out there and he made an impact and that just goes to show even on a losing team he’s willing to go out there and sacrifice his body die for loose balls hit a three every now and then set the tone and that’s just a veteran that any NBA team would want on their roster so a guy Marcus Smart could definitely teach a lot to young guys in Jordan Pool Bub Carrington AJ Johnson if he gets the reigns at guard maybe a young guard you get out of this draft all right well let’s take a quick timeout here on Lockdown Wizards when we’re back Abdul and I break down an intriguing big who the Wizards might love to have here in the district first let’s hear a message from our friends at Monarch Money ever check your bank account and wonder where did all my money go between dining out online shopping and entertainment it’s easy to lose track that’s where Monarch Money comes in and your personal CFO giving you full visibility and control of your finances transition monarch Money isn’t just a budgeting app it’s a complete financial command center you can track all your accounts investments and spending in one place so you just stop managing your money and start building your wealth i mean for me former college student just graduated when I started using Monarch I kind of realized how much I was spending on food delivery now I can budget smarter and I’m saving so much more since I’ve moved back home we welcome you back here to Lockdown Wizards something we wanted to touch on here in this episode while we’re focused on the defense Abdullah is the prospect of Asanu 611 a forward that you could pair alongside Alex Sar here in DC where do you stand on him yeah first of all I want to say I think he’s definitely available there at pick 18 i don’t think he’s going to go any anywhere before that i saw projections early on this year where he was a lottery pick then he kind of you know fell down a little bit a guy who can switch to smaller defenders defensively an array of post moves excellent athleticism and has shooting upside also a lob threat and a strong dunker so you pair a guy that with Bob Carrington that would be a fun pick and roll and he also um will be compatible with a guy in Alex Sar and be a nasty front court defensively and potentially offensively and he was a big reason why Georgia uh made it for the first time in the NCAA in over a decade so we saw him doing it at the collegiate level that’s one thing that I look at in prospects where what do you do at the highest level in college and will you translate in the highest level of basketball and that’s the NBA i feel like we we put so much emphasis on guys that come out of the Southeastern Conference at this point because I mean it was a basketball gauntlet last year you had teams as we mentioned like Texas who went I believe six and 12 in SEC play and they were still in the NCAA tournament because that’s how good the SEC was last year so I think there is something to be said about people who show out like you said at the highest level in the best conference and college basketball and Ace Nola checks a lot of a lot of boxes really uh when it when it comes down to it i mean he’s a oneanddone prospect which you know gives you the upside of him being such a young prospect kind of like what the Wizards have because the Wizards were the youngest roster uh in all of the NBA last year and I I feel like that’s something that is going to continue because uh you you know no matter who they take at the sixth pick or the 18th pick they’re most likely getting somebody that’s probably a oneanddone player here i mean there’s a couple options of course uh that we’ll that we’ll touch on as the draft approaches over here you know that aren’t going to fall into that category but this team is going to be made up of players 18 19 20 21 years old and it list goes on and on but you saw uh the graphic tonight in the NBA Finals game that core three in Oklahoma City everyone 22 23 24 years old and how it was similar way back in the day with Westbrook Harden and KD so there’s something to be said about having a really young team and still you know finding a way to be really successful especially in the postseason if you have the talent if you’re able to play defense well enough as a team and I think that’s going to be the biggest thing for the Wizards going forward how do you think new are kind of fits in the timeline of the Wizards trying to build a defensive identity what what would he bring to the table for that well I think you you started off really well saying that he’s really young again fits our timeline here in DC and we don’t ob obviously don’t have to expect him to be this first team all defense’s first year but he’s going to have some time because again this is a Wizards team that there’s just so many young guys that there’s not really that much attention on oh be expectations that many expectations I’m trying to get there’s not uh pressure to go out there and perform right away you still have another year or two to get those expectations of being in the playin also one thing I didn’t talk about AC new is he also played amount Vern with Cooper flag and Derek Queen so going back to the whole playing in the biggest stages of his career playing high school college and basketball and and now the NBA and potentially in Washington so a guy that can deliver on all three uh phases of his basketball and his career so at the end of the day if you’re the Wizards you got might want to take a shot at AC New at 18 because he’ll definitely be there and if you think about pairing up him and Alex Sar I think they could be really a really good front court potentially and you also have guys like Tristan Vuvich who could definitely uh have a nice forward rotation center rotation as well yeah what what makes me so interested in a guy like Newell especially at 18 if that’s where the Wizards are i know you and I talked a little bit yesterday about maybe packaging Cory Kisspert or you know now that we’re talking about Jordan P and seeing where that allows the Wizards maybe to move up in this draft if that does happen if he is there at 18 though he’s a guy I love because he’s just so uber athletic and I I think that really has helped him out uh you know in the painted area that’s what made him so successful at Georgia and even though he’s a guy that’s known for having a really nice touch at the rim uh and you know he’s more dynamic on the floor as a guy that can dominate in the paint uh he did have the confidence to shoot a good amount from outside the arc at Georgia which is really interesting to me and I really wonder how that’s going to translate to the next level he took 89 threes in his freshman year and he was just under 30% so didn’t quite get to that really like respectable mark that you could get but for someone you know with his skill set and his size it’s not really that surprising i mean people even consider Derek Queen a decent three-point shooter even though he’s shot around 10 to 15% in the regular season so I think the potential for him as a guy that can stretch the floor alongside Alexar who we’ve seen his ability to develop and try to stretch the floor uh that could possibly be a thing that the Wizards are interested and if he’s able to get that three-point shot to maybe around 35% in the league I think he’d be a really great fit on a team that’s looking for someone like the Wizards who need them to help them you know get bigger but also play smaller at the same time i feel like that’s kind of what the Wizards have tried to embody i mean we saw it last year with Sar but they could go a completely different direction say we need to get even bigger with a big man it’s it’s that’s why it’s a really interesting conversation to have here yeah I definitely agree with you here Ben you I don’t know this is especially since I’ve seen drafts of Ace Bailey falling out of three i think for sure lock one and two with Flag and Harper but after I’ve seen where somewhat Philadelphia could be shaking up the draft so I really don’t know and I’ve seen mock drafts B i know again you don’t want to hear this but Dar Queen falling to pick 18 like to me that’s just absurd i’ve I’ve been saying that for a while now so it’s been all over the place i’ve seen Malawatch at three so we’re we’re really going to have to see come drafty how well Dawkins and company will attack uh this draft yeah I think defense in my mind has to be a super big priority in this draft i think one of these two players that you get in the first round absolutely has to be someone that brings major defensive prowess to the table whether that comes with the sixth pick or the 18th pick or another pick if a trade is made I think somebody there has to be that in mind that you have to you know put somebody that fits in what you’re trying to build defensively and I trust Dawkins i I trust this front offense because you know we’ve seen what what Dawkins was able to do in the past uh how Oklahoma City is doing now what how big of a part he had in that and the moves that he’s made since he’s been here first guy that he drafted Bal Kulabali i mean that’s that’s a defensive player that is your anchor of the defense right there we’ll have to see how he fares in year number three after he comes back from a season ending injury last year that you know kept him out the final month of the season or so uh but the jury’s still out for him but you know it’s clear that the front office has a vision of what they like defensively and I’m wondering how they’re going to attack that here in this draft mhm and uh on a side note this is it’s already been two years since the Wizards hired general manager Will Dawkins and I know I’m being a little delusional here i put it out on X but if you think about it the blueprint of how the Thunder are compared to the Wizards you got your SGA and Bob Carrington you got your center and Chad Hungre with Alex Sar and you have your defensive prowess guy and Keshan George compared to Jaylen Williams i know I’m being delusional here but again you see the proof in the pudding there’s there’s going to take some time to get to that point but at the end of the day those baby steps are eventually going to be a reason when you’re making the play when you’re competing in the Eastern Conference and then eventually win that championship absolutely well we’ve been so focused on the defense improving let’s keep that conversation going when we’re back we’ll break down how head coach Brian Keefe helped this squad emphasize the defense down the stretch last year and how that trend can continue into 2025 abdo I’m getting kind of hungry let’s hear about an unbelievable offer courtesy of our friends over at Door Dash nba fans you know what time it is playoff season means big performances and even bigger rewards door Dash is bringing the heat with a slam dunk deal for the Dash Pash members during the 2025 NBA playoffs it’s called They Swoosh You Score what a name anytime a player drops 50 or more points in a playoff game Dash Pass members score a three three-piece crispy tenders combo from Wingstop the very next day just place an order of $20 or more and use the code Wingstop 50 once again that’s Wingstop 50 at checkout and that combo is yours crispy delicious and totally free offer valid noon to midnight the day after the game terms apply i mean go-to move after a game for me i just love to sit down get some wings relive the highlights of a game hopefully I’m doing that a lot next year for some Wizards victories and just imagine being rewarded with free food just because somebody goes off for 50 points maybe we’re going to get that for Alex Sar one day Abdullah that would be awesome so here’s the play sign up for Dash Pass to unlock this and more exclusive deals all season long when any player scores 50 plus in a playoff game Dashp pass members can grab a free threepiece crispy combo from Wingstop the next day with a $20 order and code Wingstop 50 that’s Dash Pass your door to more savings flavor and ways to win terms apply all right welcome back here to Lockdown Wizards alongside Abdullah Aub i’m your host Ben Strover and we’ve been so focused on the defense here this entire episode abdullah and we saw major improvements in the second half of the year and especially down the stretch from the Wizards although they they do still finish in the bottom three defensively overall i think we did see Brian Keefe put a major emphasis on the unit going forward and I expect that to be the case going into 2025 what did you notice from them especially in the second half of the season i think a big part of that Ben was the additions of Chris Milton and Marcus Smart at the trade deadline i think those guys with those the veteran leadership that they have and their experience championship experience I think they brought in uh some some of the experience to Young Wizards team who I think communication was lacking for so much of these past couple years when it came to defensively not closing out on shooters i mean losing the paint battle every night you still were it was that was still a a theme but it got better and it slightly got better and if you’re the Wizards you just have to hope that going into next season and this offseason right now you’re putting so much emphasis on defense i think it’s a lot of a mentality thing and and I get today’s NBA it’s it’s hard every everyone’s scoring a lot of points everyone’s good everyone can shoot everyone can take it to the rim but at the end of the day you have to be the one to step up but you have to be the one to take a charge take initiative and that’s one thing that I saw with Bub Carrington and Keshan George as a young guy they as a rookies they were going up to teams best players and getting in their face and that’s what I like to see Marcus Smart being in there down the lane not being afraid to use his body and taking a charge and taking initiative hands in the passing lane i think that’s one thing we have to see more emphasis on and it’s also the rebounding battle i mean that kind of ties in with defensive but you can’t lose the rebound b rebounding battle every night especially when you have two three seven footers on this team so if you’re the Wizards with coach Brian Ke and I still think he can be the guy that can lead this team to a championship that has to be emphasized winning the rebounding battle boxing out and just communicating and closing out on shooters i think the proof is in the pudding from all the teams that have been extremely successful in this NBA postseason how important team defense is pacers great defensive team oklahoma City one of the best teams defensively i mean for a team that’s so good like Oklahoma City of course you have the MVP who scores around 30 points a game and Shay Gilders Alexander but the way they’re still able to play such phenomenal team defense night in and night out and really it comes down to effort in the NBA i think everyone that plays in the National Basketball Association the athleticism is there the skill sets are there to be great defenders it’s just really about effort are you as a head coach willing to get your guys to buy into your defensive philosophies can you get people to not take possessions off not take nights off defensively and I think that’s what we saw from Brian Keefe last year especially down the stretch uh he was able to kind of you know rally the troops into playing much better defense and that that’s why they were a lot more competitive especially down you know the second half of the year i I agree with you there i think that was a big reason why you saw a night and day difference of this Wizards team you still were losing but you seem you saw the competitive spirit and I’m hoping that going into year three of this rebuild that you get better defensively i mean you got you got to have to because at the end of the day we that we you brought up coach coach West Unel Jr and he was brought in for the fact that he was a defensive minded coach and that clearly didn’t work out and for a guy in coach Keefe where he had his years in developing the Oklahoma State’s under team Kevin Durant gives a lot of his success credit due to coach Keef so if you’re the Wizards that’s just something you really have to emphasize this offseason we want to see this team score a lot of points but you can’t be giving up 130 points 135 points tonight and expect to win a basketball game i’m going to read a quote here verbatim from coach Keefe this came around the second half of the year last year and I I really enjoy uh hearing what he had to say about his defensive philosophy he said it starts with our defensive end i thought our defense that’s the stuff that carries you’re not always going to make shots getting ourselves organized all on offense playing with pace and then making the right play those are the things that are going to carry us forward and I love that quote because coach Keefe understands how the young the team he’s working with here and uh the growing pains that are going to come with that especially on the offensive side you have guys that are developing their game in a bunch of different facets from Alex Sar around the rim just trying to stretch the floor bup Carrington uh trying to serve in his role as a facilitator Keshan George uh expanding his game as a three-point shooter i think when you are going through those growing pains as a really young team that’s where your defense can keep you in so many of these games because you’re not going to have your best shooting nights we saw plenty of nights offensively where Washington struggled and they weren’t able you know to get anything going from a couple of different guys from the starting lineup but if the defense shows up and the defense plays as a team that is where you leave yourself an opportunity to be in any every single game unless you’re playing some kind of juggernaut squad where everyone on the floor is going to score 30 every night which isn’t going to happen especially not in the regular season in the NBA if you can play great team defense night in night out rebound the ball very well which you’ve harped on a couple of times already in this episode you’re going to leave yourself a chance to at least maybe heat up in the fourth quarter uh and get things going but ultimately just keep yourself in the game i I agree i think those 50-50 balls are also a thing that you have to get better at diving on the floor being a pass on defense and I was going to ask you this since we’re already on the topic of defense where do you see the Wizards finishing in a lot of defensive categories do you think they’re going to creep out of the bottom five yeah absolutely i I’d expect them to be better i would love to see them be around the 15 to 20 range i’m not sure if they’re going to make the top half of the NBA defensively i don’t know if they’re going to have the pieces in place to be that solid offensively i mean I’m sure you and I will do a whole episode at some point very soon about realistic expectations for this Wizards team but uh defensively I expect them to prove just because not even because I think they’ll be that much more talented i mean they might add some super good talent here this off season uh that can help out on the defensive side but I think the philosophy the mindset the effort is going to be what sets the team apart maybe from the year before and then the year before that and into next year and how much better they can get because last year the Wizards were still bottom three to five defense in the NBA but they had actually improved from the year before so you have that as a positive thing to build momentum on you got to keep on stacking it while you can if you’re this Wizards team because it’s going to be tough when you have so many young players you’re going against some of the best players in the NBA who have been doing it for over a decade those guys are hard to stop it’s hard to stop teams that have great chemistry like we’ve seen throughout the NBA playoffs and what the Thunder have built and the Pacers as well the New York Knicks a team that had so much offensive talent those teams are tough to stop night in and night out but I think the Wizards are going to be drastically improved defensively next year and I’m really hoping that’s the case yeah 15 to 20 for me it would be great but it brings up the question for me at least Ben if it if you’re still bottom five in a lot of categories how much of the blame do you give that to coach Keefe and how much do you kind of pin that towards the players because I’ve always had trouble trying to you know figure out where do I look at the coaching staff or the players when it comes to being a really bad defensive team because at the end of the day the players they’re the ones out there and the coaches can only do so much it’s weird i think it’s just an effort thing honestly if you can get a coach that can instill into the minds of the players how important the effort is but also it’s it’s hard to think about because you just think about coach Thibs who obviously just got fired out of New York despite making the conference finals and I don’t think he got I don’t think he deserve to get fired by the way just to throw that out there you know I I you know I can totally you know see where you’re coming from on that i think he has underachieved with a lot of great talent throughout his career but there’s one thing that’s always been the case is his teams were always very good defensively and it’s just you know it kind of comes down to does he burn all his players out by the postseason so they can’t play defense anymore i don’t know that’s not really our bit to talk about here um but it goes to show you that if you have a head coach that you know stresses the importance of that um you know then you can find yourself in a position where you do have your players that are doing that on a night innight out basis and how that affects the win total yeah we we’ll just have to see for me if if you’re still a team that’s struggling defensively getting blown out by 20 30 points at home and you keep it’s becoming a theme of losing the turnover battle and being uh killed on the in the paint maybe you have to look at coach Ke and say “Hey this this got to change it up because right now we’ve given you half a year we giving you a full year last year but if it’s still the same there’s no improvement we’re going to be scratching our heads and looking at these potential coaching candidates out there.” Yeah a lot to think about as we move forward and get even closer to the NBA draft it’s coming soon a huge offseason on the forefront for this Washington Wizards organization trying to take the next step forward abdullah and I broke it all down today we think the defense is going to be important part hope you enjoyed this episode of Lockdown Wizards if you did leave a comment down below that’s the best way for us to get your feedback and hear what you guys are enjoying about the podcast and how we can improve each and every single day episodes are Monday through Friday we are your new hosts of Lockdown Wizards we can’t wait to keep on putting content out for you guys thank you for making Locked On Wizards your first listen today for your second listen check out the Locked On NBA Big Board Show nba draft expert Raphael Barlo reacts to every workout interview and rumor leading up to the NBA draft find Locked on NBA Big Board on YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcasts for my co-host Abdullah Aayub I’m Ben Strober and we’ll see you tomorrow here on Lockdown Wizards

Ben Strober and Abdullah Ayubi dissect the Washington Wizards’ pressing need for defensive improvement. They analyze potential draft picks, including Asa Newell, weighing offensive talent against defensive prowess. The duo explores new head coach Brian Keefe’s defensive-minded philosophy and its potential impact on the team’s future. Will Dawkins’ team-building approach is emphasized as Ben and Abdullah draw parallels to his success with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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