We only have half of the Washington Wizards schedule, but there are plenty of must-watch games coming up during the 2020-21 NBA season.
NBA basketball is almost back! If it feels like we were just crowning a 2020 champion a few weeks ago, well, that’s because we were. The 72-day turnaround between the end of last season and the beginning of this one is quick. However, the Wizards were busy during their short time off and made a series of moves that have transformed this franchise’s identity. John Wall is gone. Russell Westbrook is here. So is first-round pick and Israeli phenom Deni Avdija.
With the first-half schedules now out for all 30 NBA teams, let’s look at five must-watch matchups this season for the Washington Wizards.
December 23: Washington Wizards @ Philadelphia 76ers
It’s been 9 months since we’ve seen Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans play. We’ve never seen Russell Westbrook or Deni Avidja take the floor as Wizards. The NBA season cannot start soon enough.
On December 23, we’ll get our first glimpse when the Wizards take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the first game of the season. It’ll be a tough test right out of the gate for a Wizards team with high expectations. After missing the playoffs each of the last two seasons and making an NBA-altering deal in the offseason, the Wizards are looking to right the ship during the 2020-21 season. Their first opponent, the 76ers, are a team towards the top of the East that they’d like to supplant. But the rising duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid — who finished 5th in the East last season — only got more help this offseason when new GM Daryl Morey brought in Danny Green and Seth Curry to solidify the team’s shooting.
We’ll see very early on just how well these Wizards measure up against the East’s best.