January 19, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (32), Washington Wizards center Emeka Okafor (50) and center Nene (42) look for the rebound in the first half of the game at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Wizards are trying to avoid their fifth consecutive loss, as they return home tonight to face the struggling Los Angeles Clippers.

Key Match Up

The L.A. Clippers have lost 5 of their last 7 games without Chris Paul. With ‘CP3′ in the lineup, the Clippers are ranked third in offensive efficiency. Paul’s ability to read the offense is uncanny. He’s without a doubt the best pure point guard in the league today. Without Paul however, the Clippers are forced to rely on Eric Bledsoe to fill the void. Bledsoe is a capable starting point guard in the NBA, but he’s certainly no Chris Paul. Bledsoe, a former teammate of John Wall at the University of Kentucky, put up a valiant effort in L.A.’s loss to Boston yesterday, scoring 23 points to go along side 7 rebounds and 10 assists. He’s definitely capable of getting it done, but I’d like to think John Wall will have the edge in tonight’s match up.

Wall, who was bothered by a shoulder injury, scored 21 points and dished out 9 assists in Saturday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. Coming into the game, Wall I was interested to see how well Wall will play against Tony Parker, who is regarded as one of the best point guards in the NBA. Wall did enough to dig his team out of a 20+ point hole, but didn’t do enough to close out the victory. Washington has played better with Wall in the lineup, especially in the month of January, but have lost four consecutive games. Washington needs to continue to play with the same fire as they did when John Wall returned to the lineup, and that starts with John Wall himself. I’d like to see Wall get engaged early, since he’s still on a time limit and doesn’t have to worry about defending Chris Paul. John Wall really needs to take advantage of tonight’s situation. There aren’t opportunities where the Wizards could pick up a win, especially against a team such as the L.A. Clippers.

Other Notes/Links

• Bradley Beal is listed as day to day for tonight’s game, but I wouldn’t expect him to make his return tonight. Cartier Martin and Trevor Booker are also doubtful to play.
• Mike Prada of Bullets Forever, took a look at tonight’s point guard battle. I think it’s time for John Wall to take that next step and start to separate himself from the Eric Bledsoe’s of the world. There’s no reason why anyone should think Bledsoe is a better player than John Wall, but there are still skeptics. Tonight, Wall has a great opportunity to go out and prove how much better he truly is than Bledsoe.
• Washington scored 9 points in the second quarter against the Spurs. Jeff Newman looked at the ‘dreaded third quarter’.
• Let’s hope Jan Vesely doesn’t get punked by Caron Butler tonight.
• Not much else going on in Wizards land. Hope you all enjoyed your Super Bowl Weekend.

Prediction

Washington hasn’t played as well as we had hoped since January.

The once ‘playoff hopes’ are now virtually dead, and the Wizards are trying to avoid their fifth consecutive loss. With that said, Washington is a better home team than they are away. The Clippers are dealing with their own struggles, including a disappointing loss to the Rajon Rondo-less Boston Celtics. If their was ever the time get an upset victory at home, it would be today.

With or without Chris Paul, the Clippers are still a dangerous team. They’re a top five team in offensive efficiency, overall defense, and assists. They have the best bench in the entire league, with Jamal Crawford, Matt Barnes, and normally Eric Bledsoe all supporting their starters. The Wizards on the other hand, are the worst offensive team and albeit a decent defensive team.

One advantage Washington does have over Los Angeles is their ability to score in the post. Nene is a far superior player than Blake Griffin when it comes to scoring inside and he’s an overall more polished player. Griffin, who doesn’t post that many blocks, is still a capable defender. When Nene steps out and hits the fifteen foot jump shot with consistency, Griffin will be forced to play tighter defense, which opens up lanes for John Wall and Washington’s other guards. DeAndre Jordan is one of the best shot blocking big men in the NBA, but doesn’t have the talent to really score on the low block. I personally think Washington’s front court could potentially outplay Los Angeles’.

And of course, with Chris Paul out, Washington will certainly have the advantage at the point guard position. Wall will need to do a better job controlling the ball, in order to cut down his turnovers. Turning the ball over is a no no, especially when you’re playing against a transition team like the L.A. Clippers. If Washington gives the Clippers any opportunities in transition, it’ll turn into another long night.

With all of that said, I’ll be optimistic once again. Washington hasn’t played at the Phone Booth in a few games, so I’m guessing they’ll come out to play. If John Wall takes advantage of Bledsoe, Washington can pick up yet another upset victory.

Washington will sneak out with a 95-92 victory, ending their four game losing skid.

January 19, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (32) and Washington Wizards center Nene (42) look for a rebound in the first half of the game at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Well, that was one of the worst officiated games I’ve seen in a pretty long time. Nonetheless, the Washington Wizards failed to close out the victory once again against the L.A Clippers Here are tonight’s Bullet Points:

• Blake Griffin is a very frustrating player to watch. I honestly can’t see the hype that surrounds Griffin. In my opinion, he’s one of the most overrated athletes in sports today. He finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, but shots just 5 for 18 from the field.
• Seraphin shot 2 for 7 tonight, and finished with just 4 points. He settled for jump shots once again, instead of continuing his success in the low post.
• Martell Webster was invisible for the most part in tonight’s game. Trevor Ariza helped contribute with 11 points off the bench, including a pair of three pointers. Ariza is a very tenacious defender, but I still don’t like the way he gambles for steals. I won’t be surprised if he regains his spot in the starting lineup.
• Jordan Crawford scored just 3 points tonight. Where’s your steez, Jordan?
• There was a sequence in tonight’s game in which Nene grabbed the rebound, and swung his arms trying to create space between him and the defender. Blake Griffin then flopped, making it appear as if Nene elbowed him in the face. After watching the replay, it was clear that Nene’s elbow didn’t even come close to touching Griffin. I can’t remember who specifically, but someone received a technical as a result of the botched call. It all went down hill from this point on, in terms of officiating. It’s unbelievable as to how many flops the Clippers get away with.
• Bradley Beal scored 13 points, including a pair of clutch tree point shots to keep Washington in the game. His confidence is sky high, and it’ll only go up from here on out.
• John Wall was spectacular tonight. He scored 24 points and dished out 6 assists, off the bench. His 24 points consisted of a few jump shots, and an array of acrobatic layups. It’s clear that John Wall is improving, and that makes us Wizards fans very excited. His tenacity and improvement on the defensive end of the floor is a treat to watch. He still has trouble in some aspects of defense, but it’s great to see him get down and defend guys like Chris Paul. It’s obvious that defense is an aspect in which Wall has been working on to improve. Here’s a video of a great block John Wall had on Griffin.
• Trevor Booker looked like his old self tonight. Making both of his shot attempts and grabbing 7 rebounds, Book looked like the only guy who was willing to do the dirty work for Washington tonight.
• Washington missed 12 free throws tonight. It really came back to haunt them late in the game. One of the biggest missed free throws came after Nene scored the bucket, and got a chance to tie the game. It’s mind boggling how as to how a  professional basketball team can struggle so mightily at the free throw line.
• Washington also gave up 22 offensive rebounds tonight. They were simply out matched athletically.
• There was a sequence in which the Wizards stole the ball, which lead to a ridiculous Jordan Crawford to John Wall alley oop. It was a very awesome, yet unnecessary pass, but awesome nonetheless. So Wizards.
• Besides the atrocious officiating, Washington’s inability to control the ball lead to their demise. 18 turnovers is unacceptable.
• Here is tonight’s box score. 

Hey, at least they competed. I think it’s safe to say that the Wizards are no longer the joke they used to be. Despite their awful record, the Wizards have been playing good basketball as of late. If they continue their recent play, Washington will undoubtedly continue to compete and win some ball games.

John Wall and Bradley Beal are an exciting duo, and they looked good against a legitimate contender tonight. Chris Paul is an MVP contender, who has propelled a terrible Clippers team into elite status. Competing with a team as deep as the Clippers is an accomplishment in itself.

I wish the officiating wasn’t as lopsided tonight, but I guess that’s what you get when you’re 8-30.

February 15, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (32) controls the ball against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

This is the second game in as many nights as the Washington Wizards will meet the L.A. Clippers, one day after stunning the Denver Nuggets.

Key Match Up

John Wall has been spectacular since his return from injury. Recording his second straight double-double last night with 14 points and 12 assists off the bench, John Wall is contributing in all aspects of the game. He sealed the victory with a game winning block against Ty Lawson, and later converted both free throws. The Washington Wizards have won their last four of five games, with one loss coming to the Sacramento Kings by a one point margin. Washington has looked like a very good basketball team with Wall on the floor. Bradley Beal has averaged close to 21 points, shooting nearly 70% from the three point line, as of result of John Wall’s ability to dish the basketball. At times, Wall and Beal have shown flashes of what’s to come in Washington. They truly have the makings of a great future back court, and it’s largely credited to John Wall’s unselfishness. Here’s a look at Beal’s recent stats.

The Clippers don’t have their shortage of talented guards either. Although Chris Paul is listed as ‘day to day’ and may not play in tonight’s game, John Wall’s Kentucky teammate Eric Bledsoe, is one of the leagues rising stars. Bledsoe hasn’t gotten the opportunity to show off his talent due to the Clippers’ depth of talent, but with Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups experiencing some injuries, Bledsoe has shown that he’s capable of producing on an NBA court. Like Wall, Bledsoe isn’t known for his ability to knock down the jump shot, but his speed and quickness more than makes up for it. With the Clippers’ ability to get out in transition, Eric Bledsoe fits their offensive mold perfectly. He’s able to score double digit points on any given night. I’m sure he’ll be pumped up to play against his former teammate, John Wall.

Other Links/Notes

• If you haven’t heard already, the Wizards pulled of a stunning upset in Denver last night. On a side note, it was good seeing JaVale McGee doing JaVale McGee things.
• Kevin Seraphin was motivated against McGee. Motivated or not, he needs to continue playing under the basket, and settling less for the mid range jumper.
• The Clippers are ranked fourth in offensive efficiency (107.5). It doesn’t hurt to have Chris Paul running the offense, I guess.
• They also have the fourth best defense in the NBA. For the team with the second best record in the league, they sure like to hustle and get out in transition. Chris Paul has really rubbed off on the rest of the team. (All stats from HoopData)
• Steve Perrin of ClipsNation broke down the game tonight for us.

Prediction

As mentioned, this is the second game in as many nights for Washington. Coming off an upset in Denver, the Wizards will surely have some momentum carrying over to Los Angeles tonight.

The Clippers have emerged as a top NBA contender under Chris Paul’s leadership. With CP3 possibly sitting out tonight, Washington’s chances of winning will obviously increase. The Clippers always played second fiddle to the Lakers, but those times have been long gone. They’re consequently a top 5 team on both ends of the floor, and they do the simple things which are needed in order to win games.

The only advantage Washington has over the Clippers is the low post presence. Nene didn’t play a great game last night, but Kevin Seraphin stepped up and filled the void. He scored 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds against his former teammate, JaVale McGee, in just 26 minutes off the bench. Nene and Seraphin have the offensive ability to really help contribute against Blake Griffin, who isn’t particularly known for his defense.

I can’t see how the Wizards will pull out another road win tonight. The Clippers are no joke. They have the best bench in the league, and their ranked in the top 5 in both offense and defense. Their unselfishness has really propelled them into elite status.

This game does have some good match ups, so it does the potential to be a fun game to watch. I haven’t been this excited to watch Wizards basketball since the ‘Big 3′ era. I attribute that mainly to John Wall and Bradley Beal.

Let’s hope the Wizards remain competitive.