Washington Wizards: key matchups in Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls

As the Washington Wizards head to the United Center tonight to play the Chicago Bulls, there are a handful of matchups that many fans will be watching. Tonight’s game will be close as the Bulls and Wizards are only separated by a game and a half. Both teams will be aiming to win this game in order to gain a better advantage in their playoff odds this season.

Some of player matchups will be key for the Wizards to win this game. Honorable mentions for these matchups would include Deni Avdija vs Patrick Williams, Monte Morris vs Ayo Dosunmu, and Daniel Gafford vs Andre Drummond.

That being said, let’s look at the three most important matchups that could swing tonight’s game.

A towering match up of Kristaps Porzingis vs Nikola Vucevic.

A battle of the skilled big men will occur between the rerisen star Kristaps Porzingis and Bulls center Nikola Vucevic tonight. Both players are high-quality three-level scorers who can beat opponents in the post or light it up from range with ease. Even more exciting is both players can put the rock on the floor and drive to the bucket.

These big men have complimented the other stars on their roster perfectly on the offensive end of the floor. They have also both had fantastic All-Star caliber seasons in the past with another team.

Neither of these players have been consistent on defense in recent years, so both centers are likely to have good games. Whoever has the better outing could decide the winner in tonight’s matchup.

Dueling guards in a matchup of Will Barton vs Zach LaVine.

Two players who are capable of going ballistic from beyond the arc and jump out of the gym, this should be an interesting matchup to watch. Both Will Barton and Zach LaVine have a history of putting guys on nasty posters and hitting big numbers from deep.

Although Barton has started the season slow, he should hopefully start finding his rhythm soon as he continues his debut season with the Wizards. He is hitting the lowest percentage of three-point attempts in years.

Maybe with Bradley Beal on the sidelines, Barton will be able to show us what made him special in Denver with some incredible numbers. If he manages to win this matchup, it would be incredibly helpful for the Wizards chances of beating their conference foe.

Two star forwards who have faced adversity in the past due to their play on the court Kyle Kuzma vs DeMar DeRozen.

Kyle Kuzma is playing the best basketball of his life and has been a huge bright spot for the Washington Wizards this season. His play on both ends of the floor have made him invaluable to this team.

His matchup against DeMar DeRozen could be interesting to see as they are both All-Star caliber players. They play different styles of basketball, but they are a huge impact when they are able to get started on offense.

If the Washington Wizards are able to win these matchups, it should make tonight’s game far easier to win. Even just two of the three major ones should be enough to bring home the road win.