Wizards basketball is officially back.
Tonight, Bradley Beal and Co. head into Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to take on Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers in Washington's first game of the 2022-23 season.
WHERE: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, IN)
WHEN: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: NBC Sports Washington
RADIO: 980 AM & The Wizards App
INJURY REPORT:
WIZARDS:
Vernon Carey Jr. (concussion protocol -- questionable)
Corey Kispert (left ankle sprain -- out)
PACERS:
Aaron Nesmith (left foot soreness -- questionable)
Jalen Smith (right knee soreness -- questionable)
Daniel Theis (right knee soreness -- out)
Here are three things to watch in the Wizards' 2022-23 season opener.
STARTING LINEUP QUESTIONS
Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has been playing things close to the vest regarding the starting lineup. It's safe to assume Bradley Beal, Monte Morris, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kyle Kuzma will all be on the court for the opening tip, but what about that fifth spot? There are multiple candidates.
Will Barton is an intuitive fit. He's a savvy vet who's been in the league for over 10 years. He's a solid off-ball wing who can space the floor on offense and knows where to be on defense.
Deni Avdija is another option for the final starting spot. He suffered a groin injury during EuroBasket and didn't play any preseason minutes, but after rehabbing the injury during training camp, he's off the injury report and ready to roll. Will Unseld Jr. thrust Avdija into the starting unit right away?
Finally, Rui Hachimura is a good candidate. He looked sensational during preseason play and would give the starting lineup a heavy dose of physicality. It's possible, though, that Unseld Jr. will want to bring Hachimura off the bench to give the second unit an offensive spark.
Wizards fans will find out shortly.
BRADLEY BEAL AND KRISTAPS PORZINGIS
Beal and Porzingis didn't log any playing time together last season since Beal was injured when the Wizards traded for Porzingis. They did, however, look good in their limited time on the floor together during the preseason.
Now, it's time to see how the two look together in real game action. Can they keep defenders on their toes with a mixture of inside-out two-man actions? Can they keep things tight on defense? It's always fun to make predictions and speculate, but there's nothing better than finding out for real, and it's time to do that.
EXECUTION IN CRUNCH TIME
One thing fans don't get to see during the preseason is how the main unit will look in crunch time. By the end of preseason games, most of the core group is already on the bench.
Now that the games count, fans will get to see what the Wizards' primary unit looks like when the game is on the line. Fans will get to see how the offense and defense look when they really need a bucket and a stop.
Will the offense stall out down the stretch? Will the defense make sharp rotations? Now, D.C. fans will get to see.