Some might say, ‘So goes John Wall, so goes the Wizards.’ Maybe, but not really. This team has a lot more talent past their leading point guard, they just need to figure out how to put it together as a cohesive unit.

There were a lot of things which contributed to the Wizards’ 112-91 loss to the New York Knicks in a packed Madison Square Garden on Friday night. Almost too many to digest. What stood out most to me were the defensive rotations. The footwork was simply too slow and players were not running to their spots.

And while many want to point to youth and inexperience as the causes of problems high and low, and validly so, Andray Blatche, a tad ironically, attributed his team’s struggles versus the Knicks to lack of communication and the fact that it’s so early in the season, refusing to use youth as an excuse.

So what’s the answer? It’s pretty much a combination of everything. This team will get better with time and patience. Of course, with the roster constructed as it is, that patience will continue to be heavily tested because of the meager options Flip Saunders has to work with in the post and little availability of dependable outside shooters whose overall play (defense, passing, etc.) doesn’t turn out to be a negative.

Gilbert Arenas returning to form helps a little. Josh Howard getting back will too. Otherwise, get ready for some hard pills to swallow Wizards fans. This team will get better, but that doesn’t necessarily mean mounting wins.