Washington Wizards Try to Build Chemistry During Exhibits in Japan

Tokyo — From about third through sixth grade at their school in Flint, Michigan, Kyle Kuzma and Monte Morris weren’t allowed to sit together. The two boys were causing too much trouble: they closed their eyes and dissolved into giggles, their laughter, and awkward remnants of afternoons spent at each other’s house playing video games and daydreaming about playing in the NBA.

Last week, they found that things aren’t all that different 15 years later.

“We just had a team meeting before this to discuss certain things with our media relations team for all the new players,” said Kuzma. ‘… And he was sitting across the room and everyone was talking. I’m listening; I look at all my teammates. And we look at each other. And we just start laughing.”

The deep bond between Kuzma and Morris is unique within a Wizards team that includes five new faces in the core rotation plus Kristaps Porzingis, the big man who never had the chance before Friday’s 96-87 loss to the Golden State Warriors at Saitama Super Arena. field with Bradley Beal and Kuzma at the same time.

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Each team tries to build chemistry during the preseason. Washington has the added advantage of being able to be in a foreign country, where the players dine together every day, travel on the same bus to practice and play matches, and return to the same hotel in the evening – not to mention the 28 hours together on a round-trip flight.

The Wizards could probably use the bonding time more than most.

Locker room breakdowns and miscommunication between the team’s core players and coaching staff were largely responsible for last season’s messy devolution after a 10-3 start.

This season, the Wizards’ offense is led by Morris, an affable point guard who coach Wes Unseld Jr. a natural connector of people. Unseld would know; he coached Morris in Denver for five years. They also have easy Taj Gibson as the locker room veteran and added role players Delon Wright and Will Barton.

Aside from Barton (tight low back) and Deni Avdija (groin strain), everyone saw game time against the Warriors as Unseld knocked out several lineup combinations to get a better idea of ​​what his rotations will look like when the regular season kicks off. starts on October. 19.

Unseld was generally pleased with his starters: Morris, Bradley Beal, Kuzma, Rui Hachimura and Porzingis. Hachimura was an obvious choice to include in the starting lineup given the location. A frenzied, sold-out crowd of 20,497 gave him the loudest ovation of the night as he and Stephen Curry addressed the fans before the game with bouquets of gifted flowers in hand. Curry spoke English and Hachimura Japanese before the Wizards attacker poured Curry a wine bottle. The Warriors may have been the home side technically, but it was clear who was hosting.

Unseld and his coaching staff have considered the possibility that Friday’s starting grid could hold their ground even after the team returns from Hachimura’s home country. .

“It’s definitely been talked about and we’ve tried it in small bits in practice,” Unseld said. “So to see it play out a little bit was positive overall.”

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The group had some fluid looking sequences, but the quality of play was generally poor from both teams after the extensive travels over the past few days. The Warriors shot 36.7 percent of the field and had 17 turnovers, while Washington had 36.9 percent shots and 14 turnovers.

Hachimura received praise from Beal and Unseld for his aggression after a 13-point lead and nine rebounds. Beal had nine points in his first game since undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist.

“Of course a lot to correct,” Unseld said. “I loved our process. I thought we generated some shots that we were trying to generate – it was a tough night of shooting for both teams, somewhat to be expected. ”

As for the chemistry on the field, Beal said he was impressed with his new teammates. He emphasized Wright’s defensive prowess and Morris’s clever facilitation, while pointing out that he and Porzingis are still learning each other’s preferences on the pitch.

They will have more opportunity to connect in the coming days, with charity events scheduled for Saturday afternoon, a skills match at the Saitama Super Arena later that evening, and a team dinner right after Friday’s game at a venue chosen by Hachimura.

“It’s important,” Beal said. “Many of us don’t have family here, some do, but this is nothing but time for us to spend together, build our camaraderie, build our relationships and spend a lot more time together. That’s all we can do: we embrace it.”