Nets (14-56) at Wizards (43-28)
March 24, 2017 at 7:00PM Verizon Center | Washington, DC TV: CSN Mid-Atlantic Radio: 1500 AM
Last time they met was..
February 8, 2017 - Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY: Wizards 114, Nets 110 (OT)
What to watch:
The Wizards tune up for another long road trip.
After tonight's match against the Nets, the Wizards will embark on their second 5-game road trip in the same month, beginning with a showdown against the top-seeded Cavs in Cleveland. The Wiz will then move on to LA for a back-to-back at Staples Center against the Lakers and Clippers, before going to Utah en route to finally wrapping up in Golden State.
F.M.L.
The timing of a road trip presumably this grueling couldn't be more lopsided with the Wizards struggling to maintain their spot as the 3-seed in the East. The 2-seed Celtics are up 2.5 games over the Wizards and looking to pull away with 7 of their final 10 games at home, while the pesky Raptors sit just a half game behind. The Wizards have little wiggle room to mess around. This game is important.
Key Matchup:
The battle of the benches.
The Nets are far from a sexy roster. Their rotations are merely a game of musical chairs as 15 different players have started a game this season. But it's those types of slot machine lineups that can randomly hit the rotation jackpot and end up scoring 126 points including 81 from their bench like the Nets did last night against the Suns. This deceptively deep roster employed by Kenny Atkinson has the scattered bits and pieces that, if applied correctly, could blindside a greatly superior team like the Wizards. Be weary of the Quicny Ace's and Spencer Dinwiddie's. Our beloved ex-Wizards Trevor Booker remains a force and Isaih Whitehead is better than you think. But never worry about Andrew Nicholson. He still sucks.
X-Factor:
Kelly Oubre Jr.
For a player as adolescent and raw as a featherless Kelly Oubre, fitting into a role and consistently meeting the requirements of that role can be a lot more complicated than most think. Certainly not as complicated as health care (who knew?), but there's enough inexperience and callowness to struggle with, and Oubre has been no exception. Limited playing time in his rookie season and the misdirection of a head coach known for his incompetence in developing young players, Oubre may have missed out on some key developmental advantages, but what's done is done.
From the onset of his coaching tenure in DC, Scott Brooks has iterated his commitment to the development of Kelly Oubre. Now, after being in and out of the rotation for most of the season, we may actually be witness to our young calf finally stabilizing his limbs and ready to take on any ball-handler coming his way. Over the past few games, Oubre has shown clearly how capable he is of being a stingy, annoying defender. He's been locking down his men, disrupting their movement and penetration, stabbing at the ball with his long arms, and hustling after loose balls. I personally am not sure he's completely been nurtured enough for playoff minutes, but if he continues to understand his role as a lock-down defender, he could be an x-factor for the Wizards in the postseason. At least that's how John Wall feels:
Fun Factor:
Has there been a better direct jersey swap between two players traded for one another? In fact, there actually might be:
