Wizards 9-46 vs Thunder 38-17
When: Friday, February 23rd, at 8:00p.m.
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
TV: MNMT, KSBI OKC
Radio: WFED 1500 AM, WWLS/WKY
Injury:
Wizards: Isaiah Livers (Out, Right Hip; Joint Capsule Inflammation)
Thunder: None
Keep an eye on:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: obviously, it starts and end with him. All Star and MVP candidate is averaging 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game while knocking on the door of a 50/40/90 season. Washington has to find a way to keep him inefficient as a scorer and block his passing lanes for potential assists. failing to do so will result in a looooong night and more than likely, the Wizards 47th loss of the season.
Keeping OKC off the free throw line: is mandatory for any opposing team of the Thunder. They have a number of players who can create and attack the basket off the bounce and get to the charity stripe. The Thunder comes in to tonight's contest ranking fourth in the NBA in free throw percentage, converting 83 percent this season. Washington has to be on a string defensively to limit OKC's trips to the line.
Continued Development: for the Wizards youngsters is a must. Bilal Coulibaly, Corey Kispert, Johnny Davis, Deni Avdija, the bench mob of Eugene Omoruyi, Jared Butler and Patrick Baldwin Jr are all within their first four years in the league and need live reps to continue to improve. Obviously with the state of the Wizards, rebuilding for the future, there is opportunity for these youngsters to come in, get minutes and develop as players. The hard reality as well is that they're fighting for stability in the NBA and taking advantage of their current opportunity, can go a long way to securing a home here in DC. Stay Tuned.