Washington Wizards Preview: 3 Things to watch for vs. the Denver Nuggets
By Jamal Bedell
No. 1 – Can the Washington Wizards contain the MVP candidate, Nikola Jokic?
Nikola Jokic is playing out of his mind this year! The Joker put up another 40-piece in the Nuggets’ recent loss to the Celtics, finishing with 43 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in only 37 mins! That’s his third game with 40 or more points this season! His heroic effort was admirable but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough in the end. The shorthanded Nuggets (Monte Morries, Will Barton, Gary Harris & Paul Millsap all out) fell to the Celtics, 112-99.
The Nuggets’ road trip now continues in the nation’s capital for Denver as they look to take on a hot Wizards team. Washington needs to take advantage of what will be a quick turnaround for the Nuggets and their ailing roster. Denver’s depth may be slightly diminished but Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are both elite scorers that can heat up in a hurry! The Wizards need to keep them under control as well but the Joker is by far the biggest threat entering this matchup.
It may not be possible to completely stop Nikola Jokic but Washington must slow him down at the very least. Jokic has been absolutely incredible so far this season but the Wizards did do a tremendous job defending him in the two matchups last year. He only averaged 11.0 PPG, 15.0 RPG, and 4.5 APG against Washington last year as they split the season series, 1-1. The Wizard’s best chance of extending their win streak to 3 games is keeping the Joker in check but that’s easier said than done.