Wizards’ newcomers make impact in win over Pacers originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
After a flurry of moves this summer, the Wizards saw their offseason additions contribute immediately in Wednesday’s 114-107 season-opening victory over the Indiana Pacers.
In their trade with the Denver Nuggets, the Wizards added two rotation pieces who figure to factor significantly into an overall scheme—Monte Morris (a sharpshooting guard who can facilitate the offense with Bradley Beal) and Will Barton (a defensive wing to add depth at forward). Both players were crucial to Wednesday’s result.
Though he was benched in crunch time in favor of the defensive-minded Delon Wright, Morris started at point guard and played 21 minutes, contributing seven points, six rebounds and six assists. He only took six shots, but his offensive work outside of scoring was more impactful. Morris looked to mesh well with Beal and his other new teammates, which is the main reason why he led all Wizards with a +17 on the night.
Barton, though, was even more of a factor. Coming off the bench and working as a two-guard alongside Delon Wright, Barton put up 17 points going 3-of-4 from long range, including a buzzer-beating triple at the end of the first quarter:
He also was a force on the fast break, including this instance where he ran the floor of a steal and laced a great feed to Daniel Gafford for a dunk:
Delon Wright, who the Wizards signed as a free agent back in June, did precisely what Washington brought him in to do: be a disruptive defensive piece off the bench at point guard. He finished with five points in 27 minutes, but was constantly aggressive on defense and added two steals and two blocks. That might be why Wes Unseld Jr. played Wright over Monte Morris in the closing stages as the Pacers nearly tied the game with seconds remaining.
It’s easy to get too excited for a team after they win their opening game—especially against an opponent in Indiana that isn’t projected to make much noise. But the Wizards’ newcomers plugging in and immediately contributing is a good sign for the next 81 games.
