Three Takeaways from Wizards' Anthony Davis-less Preseason Nets Loss

Anthony Davis wasted no time in proving himself as one of the Washington Wizards' handiest new toys, having revealed semblances of his lingering greatness with glimpses of his acclaimed scoring touch, defense and creation abilities strewn into his newest squad's first two preseason outings.

But as we all know, Davis isn't the kind of car you take around the track without intermittent checkups and precautions taken. The Wizards opted to shut him down for Washington's hosting of the Brooklyn Nets as a precautionary measure, an understandable administrative move given how brittle he's proven to be.

He leaves a wide variety of prospects and veterans to continue producing in his absence, but his teammates slipped in a 131-122 loss to the Nets. Despite Brooklyn's lack of talent or fringe-playoff expectations, the visitors revealed a few truths that the Wizards have to bear in mind from this point forward given Davis' inconsistent availability and their still-gaping armor chinks.

Takeaway No. 1: Washington's Need for Better Double-Big Optimization

The Wizards have been extremely open regarding their plans to platoon Deandre Ayton alongside presumed starters Davis and Alex Sarr, prioritizing rebounding, size and defensive disruption over the obvious spacing concerns.

Those double-big lineups will be sure to test Washington's still-unproven coaching staff's ability to scheme easy offense for Sarr and Davis if Ayton's just going to occupy the middle of the lane during shared double-big minutes, and they've yet to do much to put either in a position to collect simple buckets down low. They got lucky with Davis' strong preseason debut from the perimeter, but the following outings have revealed just how awkward the offensive flow can get if the ball-handling bigs don't have the option to stroll into unoccupied paint territory.

He's not reliable as a full-time arc-lingerer between his sub-30% career-3-point hit rate and how much more valuable he is in the mid-post, and that's to say nothing of the considerably-rawer Sarr. The young seven-footer lacks Davis' broad shoulders and the composure to stick down low, resorting to numerous ill-fated midrange attempts and flying floaters in the face of the otherwise-unimpressive Nets.

If Washington's set on keeping Ayton from ever wandering too far from the rim, they're going to need to ramp up Davis' and Sarr's activity out of Trae Young's pick-and-roll game, actively cutting while trading the occasional pop attempt with aggressive diving. While both of the starters are good for the occasional three-ball, head coach Brian Keefe can't rely on motionless five-out sets or corner-loitering bigs.

Takeaway No. 2: The Wizards' Inconsistent Relationship with Defense

Washington's ability to hang with most league-wide opponents has been generally-connected to its length, size, depth and mentality, though that commitment to deterring has come and gone with its key lineups through the first three games of the preseason. Nowhere was that streakiness more apparent than in game three, where Brooklyn killed the hometown Wizards in transition.

That unwillingness to get back and find assignments to man up on in open space was less forgivable than some of the Wizards' slipping halfcourt defense, as only so much can be done to defend against a one-on-one matchup nightmare like Michael Porter Jr. The rebounding and running Davis would usually be nice to have in coming from behind as a trailing disruptor foiling opponents' attempts at stealing easy shots, but again, there's going to have to be some preparatory steps taken for when he's inevitably sidelined over the season's course.

Everyone knows they have the bodies to man up against other professional rosters. Now, eyes will fall upon the galloping wings and rumbling bigs to pull stops out of thin air with an improved collective mindset and attention to detail.

Fewer turnovers wouldn't hurt, either, as a downtick in those errant passes would limit the odds of anyone else winning the transition numbers game over the Wizards. With how often Washington's toted a willingness to generate offense out of defense, it's left with much to think about concerning how a cleaner offense could aid their defensive efficiency.

Takeaway No. 3: Bilal may be Here to Stay

That subheading isn't just about Bilal Coulibaly's ongoing extension dilemma and the ticking clock counting down to his ineligibility to re-up before the coming campaign. After being rammed into Washington's prospective rotation over the first two preseason showings, he finally looked worthy of substantial minutes with a Brooklyn breakout.

He scored 19 points thanks to his reworked jump shot, a smoother-than-ever weapon that finally looked worthy of the offseason hype it attracted. After burying a few key outside spot-up looks during some lively minutes with the second-unit, the confidence he once wielded late last season flared up in the form of hard cuts and aggressive takes at the rim.

He's been mostly-envisioned as Young's high-flying battery-mate for those exact athletic reasons, but the minutes he'll get alongside other reserves are when he'll be freest to explore the supplementary creation that the rotation misses with Davis gone. For now, he looks worthy of more touches and opportunities, and that reignited two-way intrigue couldn't have surfaced at a better time.

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