The Washington Wizards sit at 2-4 on the season with a chance to get back in the win column with a Friday night showdown against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Despite their losing record, Washington has shown more promise through the start of the season than many people expected them to.
The Wizards are fun to watch and their fun balance of young players gelling with veterans has seemingly made them competitive enough to keep matchups close for the majority of every game.
If Brian Keefe’s squad hopes to improve to 3-4, they’ll need to win the smaller matchups to defeat Memphis. That said, here’s a look at the key matchups Washington will need to prioritize if they hope to steal a win on the road.
Bilal Coulibaly’s defensive versatility
The Wizards will have a big challenge ahead of them on Friday if Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant is able to go. Morant was injured in the Grizzlies' last matchup against the Lakers, but while on the court, the explosive guard looked as dominant as ever.
Between his quick first step, unlimited bounce, and improving jumper, the Murray State product is developing into one of the most unguardable players in the league. Fortunately for Washington, they have a rising young star who takes on defensive challenges with a chip on his shoulder.
Bilal Coulibaly is having a career year on offense averaging 17.7 points and 2.5 assists on 55.2% shooting from field goal range, and 44% shooting from three. In addition, the French product has shown promising signs to be a two-way star in the making.
With his size and length, he has all the tools to slow down opposing players and he’s shown that through the start of the season. For the Wizards to win, they’ll need Coulibaly to shut down Morant. And if Morant is unable to go, Coulibaly will likely take on the challenge of defending Desmond Bane whose offensive game alone is a nightmare to stop.
Alex Sarr vs. his NBA comparison
Entering the NBA Draft, many people compared Alex Sarr’s two-way ability to that of Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. Both big men can defend at a high level, while also having the tools to be an offensive weapon for their respective teams. Jackson Jr. has already developed into that guy for Memphis, but Sarr still has a long way to go.
However, against the Michigan State product, Sarr will have a chance to first-hand encounter just how good the versatile forward is for the Grizzlies and why. It will be more than just a learning experience for the No. 2 overall pick, as he’ll get to face off against Jaren Jackson Jr. to see how he stacks up against the top big man in the league to start.
Sarr has already battled Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo and now, Jaren Jackson Jr. is the next premiere big man on the list.
Can Kyshawn George’s confidence keep growing?
Kyshawn George has surprised through the start of the season, and it’s been a warm sight for both Wizards’ fans and their coaching staff. The Miami product has made an impressive impact almost immediately as a rookie, and it hasn’t just been on offense where he’s shown strides in playing a point-forward role for the team.
Georgia is averaging 7.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists on 31.5% from the field. And while the stats may not be impressive, his impact on the court outside of the box score has been. Nonetheless, George is fresh off a career night against the Golden State Warriors on Monday, where he finished with 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists on 7/19 shooting from the field, including six threes.
It will be interesting to see how George performs in his first game following what should be a major confidence booster after his previous performance.