The Washington Wizards (5-22) are set to close out their four-game West Coast road trip with a Friday night battle in San Francisco against the Warriors (13-14). Here's everything you need to know.
WHERE: Chase Center (San Francisco, CA)
WHEN: 10:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN & Monumental Sports Network
RADIO: Team 980 & The Wizards App
INJURY REPORT:
WIZARDS:
TBD
WARRIORS:
Draymond Green (league suspension -- out)
Gary Payton II (right calf strain -- out)
Brandin Podziemski (low back soreness -- questionable)
BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
After a slow start to the season on the glass, the Wizards have been harping on the importance of the rebound battle, and because of that, fans have seen improvements as of late. As a team, the Wizards are still 30th in the league in rebounds per game (39.2), but lately, things have been much better. Daniel Gafford and Deni Avdija are both doing a nice job of boxing out and cleaning the glass on defense. That will be a point of emphasis once again Friday night in San Francisco.
Despite the Warriors' lack of size in the frontcourt, they dominate the league in rebounding, averaging 49.7 per game (over two rebounds better than the second-place Rockets) and are also first in offensive rebounds per game (15.7). With Steph Curry and Klay Thompson on the floor, offensive rebounds lead to open threes for two of the best shooters the game has ever seen.
Controlling the defensive glass will be pivotal for the Wizards.
OFF-BALL DEFENSE
The Warriors have been one of the most powerful teams in basketball over the last decade, and the catalyst behind their success has been their passing and off-ball movement. To put it simply, nobody stands still. There's constant movement and off-ball screens are being set all over the court. If you don't have your track shoes on and your head on a swivel, you won't be able to keep up.
Golden State leads the league in off-screen points per game at 12.8. For context, the Utah Jazz are second at 7.3. That means Golden State is a full 5.5 points ahead of the second-place team.
This once again comes down to the dynamic duo of Thompson and Curry. Individually, they're first and second in the league in off-screen points per game at 6.0 and 5.5. The next-closest player? Lauri Markkanen at 3.4.
It's easy to watch guys like Curry and Thompson when they have the ball in their hands, but keep an eye on what they do when they don't have the ball in their hands. That's when they make their biggest impact.
TYUS JONES PLAYING HIS BEST BASKETBALL
Tyus Jones is absolutely balling right now. He's attacking the basket and finishing with his patented floater; he's knocking down threes at a crazy clip; he's defending at a high level; he's creating open shots for his teammates; and in typical Jones-like fashion, he's not turning the ball over.
Over his last four games, Jones has averaged 18.8 points on 66% shooting from the field and 70.6% shooting from three to go along with 8.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and only 1.3 turnovers. His fingerprints are all over every aspect of the game.
Enjoy watching Jones while he's on the court Friday night. He's playing an elite brand of basketball.