The Washington Wizards went on the road Monday night to grab their first win of the season against an underrated Atlanta Hawks team.
Now, the two Eastern Conference squads head back to Washington for a rematch on Wednesday night. With both teams getting a glimpse of each other’s play style. It’s going to be an interesting battle to see which team can manage adjustments the best to grab a win.
That said, here’s a look at the top key matchups the Wizards will need to win for them to come out on top and grab their second win of the season.
Bilal Coulibaly vs. Trae Young
In Monday night’s matchup, the Wizards made one of the best decisions of the season so far to assign Bilal Coulibaly to take on the responsibility of guarding Hawks star Trae Young. Not only did the French product accept the challenge, but he rose to the occasion and showed Washington a glimpse of his potential as a premiere perimeter defender.
Coulibaly served as the primary defender on Young in the first matchup, which led the guard to his worst shooting performance of the season. The Oklahoma product finished with 14 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds on 13% shooting from the field (2/15 FG).
Assuming each player will step up their games for a matchup two days later, the winner of this matchup will likely contribute to a win for their team.
Kyle Kuzma vs. Jalen Johnson
Another matchup that could decide the winner will be the frontcourt battle between Kyle Kuzma and Jalen Johnson. Both versatile wings showed out in Monday’s matchup, and much like the showdown between backcourts, each player will be looking to get the edge from their opponent from the jump.
Kuzma finished the matchup with his best performance of the year with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. A warm sign for a Wizards team that kept the veteran on the roster to lead a young squad. As for Johnson, he finished the matchup with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists.
The winner of this battle will likely be on the winning roster.
Brian Keefe vs. Quin Snyder
Brian Keefe is in his first year as the head coach of the Wizards. As a rookie coach, his ability to make adjustments on the fly will be monitored as the organization hopes to see how he could adjust in a potential playoff series. Meanwhile, Hawks coach Quin Snyder has been considered one of the top basketball minds for a few seasons now.
The coach who can adjust and put their team in a position to show up on game day with a winning game play, will lead his team to a win on Wednesday night.