Preview: Washington Wizards host Hornets in first of six game home stand

On the heels of Bradley Beal’s 47-points and a blowout loss, the Washington Wizards will look to turn things around against the Charlotte Hornets.

Following a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Washington Wizards are hoping for a win on Thursday, when they host the 16-31 Charlotte Hornets. Washington, now 15-31, has fallen to the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference behind the league’s sixth worst record.

But Bradley Beal is on fire, Thomas Bryant and Davis Bertans are back, and the Wizards are honestly pretty fun to watch. Tuesday night’s game against Milwaukee is the perfect example.

After being down as many as 32 points, Washington rallied back to within seven in the back half of the fourth quarter. Beal exploded for a season-high 47 points, and energy was through the roof. You can read the recap here.

The Wizards will look for similar results on Thursday, with a better outcome.

Wizards to Watch

It’s come time to recognize just what Beal is doing, coincidentally just before the All-Star break. Over his last five games, he’s averaging 38 points and 6.2 assists per game. The Wizards’ shooting guard is showing that he very badly wants to win, and now.

And he’s doing it almost entirely by getting to the line, a skill that he has neither avoided or embraced over his seven years in the NBA. Beal is averaging 10 visits to the charity stripe over his last five, where he’s shot 90 percent in that span.

Expect nothing in his performance to change against the Hornets, who are bottom-5 in the league regarding defensive rating and opponent points allowed in the paint, per NBA.com.

Keep an eye on Bryant in this one. He seemed to have been truly unleashed in their game against Milwaukee, and was the driving force behind their (near) comeback. He went for 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists on Tuesday night.

Charlotte’s big men (Bismack Biyombo, Cody Zeller, and Willy Hernangomez) have shown very little desire to enforce their will on defense. The trio is averaging just 1.4 blocks per game. If head coach Scott Brooks grants Bryant more natural minutes at the five, he’s bound to eat.

Notes on the Opponent

The Hornets aren’t much better off than the Wizards. They’ve got a Most Improved Player candidate in Devonte’ Graham, and a blossoming point guard in Terry Rozier, but sit at just 16 wins on the season, and the Eastern Conference’s 11th seed.

Charlotte’s got the NBA’s worst pace entering Thursday night which is sure to clash with the Wizards who are 3rd at 103.5. And the Hornets are the NBA’s worst scoring team at 103.1 points per game, while Washington boasts the league’s worst defense.

In other words: immovable object, meet unstoppable force.

Washington has lost eight of their last ten, despite Bradley Beal’s surge and their return to a mostly healthy and complete roster. The Wizards need a win on Thursday night, and they’ve got a good chance against the Charlotte Hornets. Tip-off is at 7:00 pm est.