The Washington Wizards are currently on an embarrassing losing streak, two in a row where they led by at least 20 points at some point. As they return home from a brief one-game road trip, they should be looking forward to having an opportunity to get back on track.
The most frustrating part of the last two games is the fact that their key players played incredibly well. Two 30-point performances from Kristaps Porzingis, Bradley Beal dropped 34 in his only game, and Kyle Kuzma was on triple double watch in both games before exiting the second an ankle sprain.
What did the Wizards in was their lack of second half adjustments and not respecting the role players. Against the Portland Trailblazers Josh Hart and Trendon Watford combined for 42 points and against the Brooklyn Nets Cam Thomas dropped a career-high 44 points off the bench.
The Cavaliers may be championship contenders, but the Wizards can still hold their own in this matchup.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the best teams in the league so far this season, even through injuries to their star players. They are probably one of the tougher teams for the Wizards to be facing in this situation.
The biggest weakness of this juggernaut of a team is their small forward position. If the Wizards are able to exploit that area of the Cavs roster, it should theoretically give them at least a small advantage.
With Deni Avdija and potentially Kyle Kuzma who is still not ruled out for this game, they could force the issue at the three spot all game long. Both of these players have been phenomenal in the last two weeks and have been major parts in winning streaks for the Wizards.
If the Washington Wizards are able to pull off the home win against the conference foe Cleveland Cavaliers, it could do a lot for the team’s confidence and help push the last two games into the rearview mirror.