The Washington Wizards are coming off arguably their most embarassing loss of not only the regular season, but of any season in recent memory.
It's not only due to the fact that they were steamrolled by the Miami Heat on the road, but because Bam Adebayo's historic 83-point night put the spotlight on the Wizards for all the wrong reasons.
Between abysmal defense and lack of execution, arguably the most frustrating part of the loss came in the first quarter when Adebayo outscored the Wizards team as a whole.
Moving forward, it's clear Washington's eyes are locked in on the 2026 NBA Draft, but the team still has plenty of need to prove that Tuesday's loss was a learning lesson for them in a major way,
That said, here's a look at 3 things Brian Keefe's squad has to showcase in Thursday night's matchup against the Orlando Magic.
1) Defense has to show more fight
On Tuesday, one of the biggest reasons for the Wizards' embarassing loss to the Heat was the team's lack of discipline and fight on defense.
Washington wasn't just outmatched in the frontcourt by Adebayo, but the team's backcourt didn't do enough to take advantage of the absence of Tyler Herro.
The Wizards will have to show more effort defensively against the Magic, regardless if it leads to a win or not.
2) Trae Young & Alex Sarr need to form chemistry
Since the return to action for newly acquired guard Trae Young, second-year star Alex Sarr has only played in one game alongside him in the lineup.
The potential duo of Young and Sarr was a major selling point for the team's decision to make a bold swing for the four-time All-Star ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
Sarr's first game back alongside Young showcased some rust, but that rust seemed to be shaken off in the Wizards' blowout loss to the Heat.
With Young expected to be back in the lineup on Thursday, one major way for Washington to move on from the recent loss is to see promise from their new duo.
3) Young players need to show more promise
Through the start of the season, Washington has seen plenty of flashes from their young squad.
With standout performances from each of their rookies in Tre Johnson, Will Riley and even Jamir Watkins, the Wizards have found plenty of reason to be hopeful for the direction they're heading in.
Not to mention, the recent success from the team's latest two-way signing Julian Reese, who's already etched his name alongside two Hall of Famers with a huge performance just three games in to his Wizards' career.
Despite that, seeing even more promise against Orlando will be just another sign that suggests the best is still yet to come and fans can try to forget about the lopsided loss that started the week.