It’s still early in the season, but the Washington Wizards are set to battle the west. After a successful 2-0 homestand, Washington hits the road Monday night to start a four-game swing against Western Conference opponents.
The Washington Wizards proved they could defend home last week, opening up the season with two wins. Now, it’s time for the group to test their strength on the road, something that plagued the team a year ago.
Last year, the team was 19-22 on the road. The main cause for the struggles were defensive lapses as they gave up nearly four points more on the road (109.3) than they did at home (105.5).
That being said, Washington went 7-1 combined against the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings last season. Most of these teams have changed completely over the offseason, so it’s appropriate to examine what the Wizards must do in each matchup, presently, to rival their success from the previous year.
Denver’s Defense
The Nuggets currently rank eighth in the NBA in defensive rating. They have young, athletic guards who complement their star center Nikola Jokic. When the bench unit checks in, the team arguably gets better defensively, as veteran forward Kenneth Faried protects the paint. While Will Barton and Wilson Chandler disrupt ball handlers on the perimeter.
Factor in the high-altitude advantage in Denver, and things may get a bit dicey for the up-tempo guard John Wall and Washington.
It’s important that the Wizards’ starting five gain an early advantage, and give a cushion to their second unit, which has been consistently surrendering leads. This means Bradley Beal and Otto Porter,Jr. will need to bring their A-game Washington to assist Wall.
Also, using Wall and Marcin Gortat in a healthy dosage of pick-and-rolls, should make Jokic more active on defense. This could make the talented big man fatigued and/or in foul trouble as the game progresses.
Monday will be one of the toughest tests for the Wizards. But a Denver victory could increase their confidence for the rest of their trip.
Lonzo’s Lakers
The excitement has returned to the Staples Center as the purple and gold have newfound hope in the form of No. 2 overall draft pick Lonzo Ball. Though he’s just a rookie, the team, media and fans alike, have put a ton of weight on the guard’s shoulders.
The Lakers are just 1-2 on the year, but that’s not stopping everyone (especially Lonzo’s pops) from hyping the Wall-Ball matchup on Wednesday night.
The game will be nationally televised, so it’s up to Wall and the gang to keep a level head and not get overly concerned about the distractions surrounding the contest. Though the similarities are justified, it can’t turn into a Wall vs. Ball showdown.
The Wizards are by far the better team. It’s up to them to stay above the cloud of hype and prove it.
Gifted Golden State
You don’t just walk into the Bay Area and hope for a win against the defending champs.
You gotta take it.
The Warriors are ridiculously talented and deep. They also have one of the best coaching minds in the business, Steve Kerr. Led by superstars Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, the team leads the league in three-point field goals made.
It’ll take a near-perfect effort from the Wizards – who have struggled to defend the three ball this season – to contain the gifted group.
A possible advantage for Washington is the fact that their new starting five is currently one of the best in the business in terms of plus/minus rating.
In 44 minutes so far, the Wizards lineup of Wall-Beal-Porter-Oubre-Gortat is +25.5 per 100 possessions.
— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) October 22, 2017
The starters will need to match the output of the Warriors, and then some, if they have any shot at snatching a win.
Start-up Sacramento
It seems like the Kings have been rebuilding for decades, and in 2017, things haven’t changed much. Notably, they drafted well this summer and brought in veterans Vince Carter, Zach Randolph and George Hill.
They’ll battle hard at home, but the Kings are near the bottom of the league in points per game. Washington will have to avoid complacency and finish the road trip strong with an expected win.
It’s a tough ask for this group to head out west this early in the season, but the foray gives the group a chance to make a league-wide statement. If the Wizards can come back home with at least three more wins on their record, fans can consider it successful.