Coming off of three straight losses, the Washington Wizards are looking to get a much-needed win against a Philadelphia 76ers team that’s won four straight.
The Washington Wizards are banged up. And even that’s an understatement. They literally played their last game against the Orlando Magic without a center. Rui Hachimura filled in, but at 6’8″, 230 pounds, it’s not a sustainable solution.
The center situation doesn’t bode well for Thursday night’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, who are big men abundant and have won their last four games.
Here are a few things the Wizards need to do if they’re going to come out on top against the 76ers.
Healthy Scratches
As of Wednesday, Ian Mahinmi and Moritz Wagner were ‘questionable’ for the game against Philadelphia. Both have been out for the last two games. Getting two of their three centers back would make a massive difference in this matchup versus the 76ers.
The #Wizards have upgraded Ian Mahinmi to “questionable” for tomorrow’s game vs 76ers.
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) December 4, 2019
Moritz Wagner listed as questionable too
If Mahinmi plays, it would be his season debut. He’s been dealing with a lingering Achilles’ issue since training camp, so don’t expect anything more than 15-20 minutes if he plays.
Wagner is the one who they really need back. In his first year with the Wizards, the second-year center has been a pleasant surprise. After 17 games played, he’s averaging 12 points and 5.6 rebounds on 43 percent shooting from three.
The Wizards need their centers back because the 76ers have plenty of frontcourt firepower. And all three of them — Joel Embiid, Al Horford, and veteran big man Kyle O’Quinn — will be available versus the Wizards. Those three are a primary reason 76ers’ are a top-10 rebounding team. Per NBA.com, the 76ers average 46.3 boards per game, nearly five more than the 28th ranked Wizards (41.8 rebounds/game).
For the Wizards to have any hope at containing Philadelphia’s big men, they’ll need at least one, if not both, of their questionable big men to play on Thursday.
Number One Option
The one constant in Washington’s high powered offense has been All-Star guard Bradley Beal. Through 19 games played, he’s averaging 28.7 points and 7.2 assists. Per Basketball-Reference, Beal is one of just four players averaging 28 and 7 on the season (Beal, James Harden, Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Kyrie Irving).
If the Wizards are going to put points up on the 76ers, they’ll need their star guard to continue his pace of play. Easier said than done, though. Philadelphia owns the NBA’s 4th best defensive rating.
Three of Philadelphia’s last four opponents (Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Utah Jazz) failed to hit the 100-point mark. However, none of those teams had a star level scorer like Beal. Nor did they have a high-scoring offensive unit like the Wizards.
Thursday night presents a tough, but winnable, game for Washington. If the Wizards can roll out a few healthy big men, and Bradley Beal can do what he does best, it’ll be closer than advertised. It’ll be up to Washington’s star to provide the scoring punch it takes to stay in the game with Philadelphia.