The Washington Wizards have gotten off to an even worse start to the season than they were expected to.
Entering the regular season, nobody expected the Wizards to be a winning team, but they also weren't looked at as the clear worst roster in the NBA.
Of course, their talent level compared to other squads around the league is significantly lower. However, led by Jordan Poole, plus a couple of veteran additions in Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valanciunas alongside a young roster including two former lottery picks in Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr, there still seemed to be some hope that Washington could be competitive.
Nonetheless, the Wizards are currently on pace for the worst record in the league as they sit at 2-15 courtesy of a 13-game losing streak. And while that may be good for the future state of the roster, Wizards fans deserve to see some positives from their favorite team.
That said, here's a look at three keys to an upset win on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Limit Giannis Antetokounmpo
There's no denying that Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the best players in the world. His ability to impact the game as a dominant scorer, willing facilitator and as one of the best rebounders in the league make him one of the hardest players to defend. Despite that, if the Wizards hope to find a way to victory they'll have to slow down the Greek Freak who missed last game due to injury.
Set Bilal Coulibaly as the primary defender on Damian Lillard
The Bucks made a blockbuster deal to acquire one of the best guards in the league last offseason when they landed Damian Lillard. And while the fit hasn't exactly translated to more wins, the fact of the matter is that Lillard can take over a game whenever he wants. He did it just a couple nights ago against the Miami Heat where he dropped 37 points and 12 assists in the win.
While he's a handful to slow down, the Wizards second-year guard Bilal Coulibaly is the exact defender you want to take on the challeneg of defending the star guard. Between his long wing span and on-ball skills, the perimeter defender could do enough to force Lillard into an off night.
Crash the boards
The Wizards have struggled on the boards as of late with their only consistent rebounder coming off the bench in Jonas Valanciunas. Against a Bucks squad with a few strong rebounders between Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and even Bobby Portis, they'll need to match Milwaukee's aggressiveness on the board if they hope to steal a win on the road.