Regular Season Game 39
Wizards (22-16) at Grizzlies (12-26)
January 5, 2018 at 9:30 PM FedEx Forum | Memphis, TN
TV: ESPN, NBCSW Radio: 1500 AM
Odds: WSH -4
What to Watch:
Not Falling Into The Trap By Keeping Memphis Cold
After starting the season 7-4 and looking to be in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, the Grizzlies are now 5-22 in their last 27 games and have already fired their head coach David Fizdale. Memphis will likely be without Mike Conley (Achilles) and potentially without Chandler Parsons (knee). The latter probably does not want to play against John Wall for risk of another embarrassing block, too. Memphis has actually won 3 of their last 6 games, but Washington has no reason not to continue their recent hot stretch that includes winning 8 of their last 11 games.
Key Matchup:
Tyreke Evans vs. Wizards Front Office
The 28-year old shooting guard is on his third team in the past year and with Memphis going nowhere, he will likely be made available at the trade deadline. The Grizzlies have themselves their own Mike Scott bargain with Evans signing the bi-annual exception this past offseason and is likely to cash in next summer. Evans is averaging 19.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He is also lighting it up from deep with a career-high 42.2 percent from deep. He already has made a career-high 81 three-pointers this season through just 37 games. With Jodie Meeks not living up to expectations this season, the backup shooting guard position is certainly one Washington may want to upgrade before the stretch run.
Evans's money matches up with Meeks, but no one will want to take on a non-expiring contract from a player on the wrong side of 30. Instead, the Wizards could try and combine the two expiring contracts of Tim Frazier and Chris McCullough, both also out of the rotation, along with a second-round pick. Of course, even a pick potentially 50th overall or worse may not be the best deal that Memphis has available. Washington will get a first hand look at Evans's talents on Friday night to get a good idea of whether he can help take them to the next level or not.
X-Factor:
John Wall Playing In Back-to-Backs
For just the second time this season, Wall will play in the first leg of a back-to-back, if you can even count the Brooklyn game that he only played 8 minutes of in the first half. The Wizards are 1-4 on the first leg, but 4-1 on the back end of back-to-backs, but with Wall likely off any minutes restriction, he things that it will be the difference maker. "Have I played a lot of those [first legs]?," Wall responded when asked about Washington's odd splits. "I think that's a big key."
Fun Factor:
Back on ESPN
For all the talk about the Washington Wizards playing down to the level of their competition, they should certainly be up to play for the lottery bound Memphis Grizzlies because they will be on a national spotlight. The Wizards have not been on ESPN in two months, exactly nine weeks to be precise, so all of them will likely want to show out for the entire country to watch.
Prediction:
With everyone seemingly back to 100 percent, the Wizards take care of business against the less talented and struggling, on and off the court, Grizzlies.