Wizards (48-32) vs. Pistons (37-43)

April 10, 2017 at 8:00 PM The Palace of Auburn Hills | Auburn Hills, Michigan TV: CSN Mid-Atlantic Radio: 1500 AM

Last time they met was..

January 21, 2017 - The Palace, Auburn Hills: Pistons 113, Wizards 112

What to watch:

A meaningful meaningless game.

With both teams' end-of-season fates sealed - the Wizards are locked into the No. 4 Seed; the Pistons are locked in for a pre-summer fishing trip - there is no real substance to this match. There are, however, some self-fulfilling objectives for both teams that may have them playing a little harder than we'd expect. The Pistons will be taking the hardwood at The Palace for one final time and will probably want to end the team's 29-year tenure there on a memorable note. The Wizards, meanwhile, are still in pursuit of the much coveted 50-win milestone. How much either team cares for these otherwise unsubstantial terms will be the dictator of this game.

Key Matchup:

Scott Brooks vs. end-of-season lineup decisions.

The top priority for the Wizards as the playoffs approach and their spot as the 4 seed is established is entering the playoffs in the utmost playoff form. That entails preparing to get your body and mind right, nursing anything physically bothersome, and a fair bit of rest.

Scott Brooks has already professed his state of mind regarding lineups and minutes going into the final two games of the regular season:

While John Wall has stubbornly reiterated his mind set:

Now, believe me, Wall's determination and willingness to play through pain and injury is one of his most admirable traits, but let's be sane here, what if he aggravates something beyond quick repair? Who will we headhunt for then? Brooks' philosophy seems to be the right one, and I think we can all trust his judgments based on that philosophy will be the right ones.

As of now, it seems Keef, Beal and Gortat will suit up but likely play minimal minutes. Wall and Otto are both game time decisions.

X-Factor:

You get a 50 for effort!

Yes the game is mostly meaningless, but also yes to the Wizards making an effort to avoid backpedaling into Sunday when they play game 1 against whoever. The Wizards were once long-time holders of the 3-seed, then actually made a cameo at the 2 spot. They have now fallen to 4 where they'll remain because they have faltered, losing 4 of their last 6 and 8 of their last 15. Winning their final two games and reaching that 50-win milestone - even if the starters have little to do with it - would be a good thing. It will provide a some erasure for their recent struggles and it will give them the pinch of momentum needed to jump start their playoff run.

Fun Factor:

​The Malice at the Palace!

​ What better way to commemorate the last game played at The Palace than reliving the single wildest night ever in The Palace..err..in NBA history, rather.

Prediction:

It remains to be seen how Brooks approaches this game lineup and minutes-wise, which makes it a bit tougher to predict the outcome. So by default I'm going Wizards.

#Wizards #JohnWall #Clippers