Preview: Washington Wizards travel to Windy City for matchup with young Chicago Bulls

The Washington Wizards will face off with the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, with hopes of leaving the United Center with a win.

On the heels of a tough loss to the Utah Jazz on Sunday, the Washington Wizards walk into Chicago with hopes of victory. And they’re trending in the right direction, with newly healthy guys returning.

First, it was Davis Bertans. Then Bradley Beal. And then Thomas Bryant. Now, Rui Hachimura is participating in practice again, taking a crucial step towards getting back. He won’t be back by Wednesday’s game, or even the next one, but it’s promising news.

The Chicago Bulls have underwhelmed this season. They currently have just one more win on the books than Washington at 14-27, and things are only looking to get worse.  Zach LaVine is a legitimate All-Star candidate this year, but it hasn’t translated to wins for the Bulls.

Former Wizard Otto Porter has played just nine games in his first full season with Chicago. Now, big man Wendell Carter Jr is expected to miss four to six weeks with an ankle injury. Still, this game holds promise for a solid matchup.

Wizards to Watch

Washington’s frontcourt may prove the most important in this game with Chicago. With Wendell Carter out, the Bulls are down to Daniel Gafford and Luke Kornet at center. Thomas Bryant will be playing in his second game back from injury, but Ian Mahinmi has played well recently.

Over his last ten games, Mahinmi is averaging 8.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game in just 23 minutes. He went off for a career-high 25 points in Washington’s win over the Miami Heat at the end of December.

Mahinmi will certainly have the advantage against two relatively inexperienced Bulls bigs. And given Kornet’s ability to space the floor, Bryant’s ability to cover the court from post to arc will be crucial.

Elsewhere, it’ll be up to Beal and Troy Brown Jr to contain LaVine’s explosive offensive arsenal. He’s averaging a career-high 24.5 points this season, and just recently went off for 43 against the Indiana Pacers in a Bulls loss. If Beal and Brown can contain him, it’s the Wizards’ game to lose.

Key to Win: Shot Selection

The Washington Wizards currently have the NBA’s 9th best offensive rating, per NBA.com. While it is almost a fully loaded arsenal with Beal and Bryant back, the Wizards still lack something.

In their loss to the Jazz, Washington blew a 15-point lead. What put them ultimately behind on the scoreboard was shot selection. Well, that and Rudy Gobert being Rudy Gobert.

Still, the Wizards have too many good shooters to force shots when they’re not there. Between Jordan McRae, Ish Smith, Beal, Bertans, and even Bryant, there should always be someone open or able to get a good look. Ball movement should always be paramount.

In Washington’s loss to Chicago back in December, the Wizards won the battle on the glass 55-52 but shot just 36 percent from the field. The Bulls, however, shot 40 percent.

Another issue? Washington recorded just 21 assists on the night, well below their 25.8 average. And 13 of those were accounted for between Beal and Smith.

But it all comes back to shot selection. If the Wizards can ignore the poor looks and make the extra pass, they’ve got the best chance of winning their matchup in Chicago.