Keep your eyes on the young guys when the Washington Wizards travel to Memphis. This one should be a rookie showcase.
The Memphis Grizzlies do not have a single player on their active roster that is over 30 years old. And while the Wizards will trot out two thirty-somethings in Ish Smith and Ian Mahinmi, this matchup will be all about the least experienced players on each team.
That’s not to say that the “old” guys won’t matter. Ian Mahinmi will be the only available center for the Wizards tonight as Thomas Bryant (foot) and Moritz Wagner (ankle) both continue to rehab their injuries. And with Isaiah Thomas still nursing his calf injury, Smith will continue to be the primary point guard running the Wizards’ show. Memphis, too, relies heavily on their oldest veteran—29-year-old Jae Crowder—to anchor the team on the defensive end.
However, with both Memphis and Washington in the midst of a rebuild, it will be the youth that determines the future of these franchises. And a quarter of the way into the season, both teams look to be in good shape moving forward, thanks to their first-year phenoms.
Here are the four rookies that will steal the spotlight when these two teams meet. No matter how dazzling Bradley Beal plays, or how many threes Davis Bertans rains down on the poor Grizzlies, make sure to keep your eyes on these guys.