A surprising detail was noticeable when the Washington Wizards officially released their 2022 NBA preseason schedule. There was the obvious exciting news that they would be playing a couple of their games in Japan against the Golden State Warriors, but the ripple effect from that brought up another situation.
While their preseason slate is only four games, the Wizards are somehow going to play none of those four in front of their home fans. In addition to the two games that will be played in Saitama City, Japan, the Wizards will play a game in Charlotte, North Carolina (At the Hornets) and in New York, New York. (At the Knicks).
Wizards lack of home games in the Preseason isn’t necessarily a bad thing
There is a chunk of fans that this isn’t great news for one would assume. Whether people who live in the area but prefer snagging a preseason ticket for themselves and the kids or fans that might want to stop in for a cheaper game when they’re traveling through the area. Some fans will have a hiccup that they consider less than ideal.
For the team, though, and the organization as a whole, it might not be a bad thing at all to have the unique setup. In fact, maybe it is actually ideal for the Wizards entering the 2022 NBA season.
Home court advantage isn’t being missed out on in any way. That’s just not a thing, especially in preseason, before you even factor in the games don’t mean anything in the standings.
The preseason is really about a few things or NBA teams. It’s a tune-up to get everything rolling and ready for the actual regular season, and a time for growth before the grind of the long season gets underway.
The tuning-up part can be done anywhere, even halfway around the world. The Japan games are obviously great for the organization and specifically will be a cool moment for Rui Hachimura.
This team is going to need to overcome the odds more often than not during the upcoming season. Whether it’s them being overmatched on the court, traveling to cities they must find wins in, or simply taking care of business on their home court, the Wizards need to find a way to excel out of their comfort zone. Once they are doing that in tough games, they’ll also be taking care of business at home.
Giving up their opportunity for a few home preseason games could actually help them in the bigger picture. No matter how everything plays out, it isn’t going to be anything that hurts them in the bigger picture.