Beal on Wizards' slide: 'We are pretty soft right now'

Nevermind that John Wall has played in 180 consecutive regular season games, the last three of which have come while injured and sick, Bradley Beal thinks the Washington Wizards' problem is toughness.

The Wizards have dropped three games in a row and five of their last seven, the worst stretch of ball they've played all year. Sitting at 29-13 and in second in the Eastern Conference just two weeks ago, the Wizards have slid to 31-18, two games out of second and with only a game-and-a-half cushion for home-court advantage.

With narrow losses to the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors in the last three days, Beal is pointing to the team's lack of fortitude as a reason for the slide.

"I think we definitely took several steps back in these last five games, especially defensively," Beal said Monday. "We haven't been the same team that got up and was physical and tough on them. We are pretty soft right now."

Head coach Randy Wittman put some of the blame on himself in a roundabout way, saying that it's finger-pointing and a lack of accountability at the root of the cold streak. Veteran big man Nene had a similar sentiment but also pointed out that the blame can't fall on the coach once the players take the floor.

The Wizards rank seventh in defensive efficiency on the season, but they've slid to 16th over the past seven games, allowing an additional 1.5 points per-100 possessions. That may not sound like a lot, but it represents more than a point in a standard game, a big swing when their average margin of defeat over their past five losses has been five points.

The issue with blaming a team's toughness is that it doesn't provide an obvious tactical solution, it's just a problem until it's not. With the Atlanta Hawks on tap Wednesday, things could get worse before they get better.