(Photo: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)
Regular Season Game 1
Sixers at Wizards
October 18, 2017 at 7:00 PM Capital One Arema | Washington, DC TV: ESPN Radio: 1500 AM
It's been 155 days since the Wizards saw their season end to the hated Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. But if somebody told me the season would end like that after a 2-8 start, I would believe them. After that 2-8 start, they came together as a team. John Wall and Bradley Beal became the talk of the town. Wizards games were once again a hot ticket. 49 wins, an Southeast Division title, and the furthest they'd gone in the playoffs since 1979 are all things to build on.
That summer featured one of the wildest NBA offseasons in recent memory. On the West, you saw Carmelo Anthony and Paul George teaming up with Russell Westbrook to challenge the defending NBA champion Warriors. And everyone knows how loaded the Warriors are with star power. Over on the East, two of the Wizards biggest foes made a trade with EACH OTHER. Yeah I know, I couldn't believe it too when I was on Twitter on that late August night that saw Kyrie Irving join the Celtics and Isiah Thomas go to the Cavaliers. And that is just two of the many changes for those teams involved in that trade. Meanwhile in Washington D.C. they made a couple of big splashes within their organization but both will prove to be vital. First they re-signed Otto Porter Jr. to a max contract, then John Wall to the supermax. Look at John Wall's video announcing he was returning to the Wizards. If that doesn't get you fired up, you have a serious problem.
Combine that with a couple of improvements to the bench with Tim Frazier and Jodie Meeks, along with a few others and you got a complete team in Washington. Continuity is the word being used these days and with their two biggest enemies still trying to learn each other, the Wizards begin the season with their chemistry intact which could help them get to the fast start they need to challenge these guys.
What to watch:
Home Cooking
For the first time since the 2011-12 lockout-shortened season, the Wizards begin the season on their home court. Unlike that season, which was Wall's second in the league, the Wizards enter this new season with promise and potential. With all of the stuff I mentioned above along with the promise of starting with a clean slate, the Wizards will look to make Capital One Arena a nightmare for opposing teams. If a team-record 17 home game winning streak last year was any indication, it is a great story that the crowd has improved and came a long way from only cheering about the prospect of free Chick Fil A.
Key Matchup:
Markelle Fultz vs. John Wall
The #1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft makes his NBA debut right in his hometown. Markelle Fultz grew up in nearby Upper Marlboro, Maryland in Prince George's County. He played for Dematha High School and will face not only the team of his hometown but his hometown's superstar in John Wall. He will play in front of many friends and family members so it should be a memorable night for him.
As for Wall, he enters his self-proclaimed #Wolfseason and told Candace Buckner of The Washington Post that he is intent on ending the infamous DC Sports Curse. Wall and the Wizards are looking to shatter that second round hump.
"It's just more pressure on me, which I love. It's just more motivation for me. I'm fine with that. I want to break it," said Wall.
X-Factor:
Jason Smith