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Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bradley Beal found a way to connect with his little brothers at Ron Brown College Preparatory High School. Beal, of course, won the 2018-19 NBA Cares Community Assist Award for his work with RBHS, a school he has partnered with for two years now.

On Thursday afternoon, members of the Wizards organization and Ron Brown HS went around the D.C. area to give four graduating students gifts from Beal. Justin Williams, Christian Johnson, Jaden Crosson, and Hassan Brunner, who are all heading to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), each received a special gift box.

Beal’s gift included a college branded hoodie for each Young King’s future university, a Microsoft Surface and keyboard, Between the World and Me by Ta’Nehisi Coates, Radical Dreams Pins, a Wizards and Mystics Black Lives Matter shirt, and more Wizards branded items. Along with each gift box was a letter from Beal and the Wizards telling each student to be on a Zoom call at 4:30 P.M.

On that Zoom call later in the afternoon, Beal praised the students for their hard work en route to graduation.

“I’m speechless,” Beal said. “I’m beyond proud of you guys. For one, you’re the true pioneers of Ron Brown. You guys are the first wave of seniors. That will forever be legendary, a memory you could always hold.”

”I’m even more proud of you guys for going to colleges you all chose to go to – you decided to go to an HBCU. Especially in the time in which we are in now, I feel like those are statement pieces. It’s amazing to see what young, Black men were able to do with the opportunity you guys were given. I remember telling you guys time and time again, take advantage of every opportunity you’re given, no matter what it is in sports, school, teachers, mentoring, programs, whatever it may be. Whatever opportunity you have, seize it – because you don’t always get those moments. We know we’re born with these disadvantages. You guys had a great advantage already going to a school in Ron Brown, which prepares you for college.”

The students figured Beal would be on the call, but they didn’t know what else he had in store for them. Beal, using money from his Community Assist Award $25,000 fund from the NBA, granted $3,000 in scholarships to each of the four students.

Williams, the school’s valedictorian, will be heading to Norfolk State to study environmental engineering. He was especially overcome with emotion, as his journey to having the best grades in the senior class has not been easy.

“When I first came to school, I wasn’t really a school type of student, in the wrong crowd,” Williams reflected. “A lot of people don’t know, but my dad’s disabled. The one thing he told me – because he didn’t get to finish college because it happened at a young age – was to finish school. That was my goal, through mental struggles, physical struggles, family struggles, everything, that was the one thing that I had that I could say that I finished.”

Johnson will be attending Howard University to study finance and to play basketball. He’s been extremely close with Beal since their relationship started two years ago. Considering Beal took Johnson and 50 other students on a trip to Howard earlier in the year, the story has really come full circle.

Crosson will attend Hampton in the fall as a five-year MBA business student. He was with his mother and grandmother at his home when he received the gifts. Brunner, who will be headed to North Carolina Central to major in kinesiology, thought school faculty members were just stopping by to check in with him after graduating.

All of the Ron Brown students and staff mentioned how much they have appreciated Beal’s willingness to maintain their relationship.

“It means that he still cares,” Johnson said. “Even through the pandemic, he still shows up for us. I love it, I’m very excited to continue this relationship with him into college.”

Crosson’s mother, Vanya Brown, echoed Johnson’s sentiments: “We definitely appreciate it. He’s [Beal] been so engaged with them. He’s [Jaden] gotten a lot from everything that Mr. Bradley Beal has done for the school.”

After letting the students know about their scholarships, Beal finished the call with words of wisdoms for four of the seniors who have become like his little brothers.

“Now you’re in the real world,” Beal said. “These opportunities are going to be vast, they’re going to come at you from all angles. Seize them all, enjoy every moment of it. Continue to make yourselves proud, your families proud, and me proud. Please continue to grind, continue to be the best that you can possibly can.”

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Beal surprises four RBHS students with HBCU scholarships, gifts for college

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On Wednesday, the Wizards announced the signing of Jerian Grant, a versatile, long-armed guard who has played a total of five seasons in the NBA and NBA G League. Grant will don a Wizards jersey for the first time later this month when the NBA season resumes in Orlando, a moment he says will be a “dream come true.”

Grant’s ties to the team, however, go back over 20 years.

A native of Silver Spring, Md. and son of former Washington Bullet Harvey Grant, Jerian worked as a ball boy with the team as a kid before his own basketball career began to blossom. As he grew into his own, Grant made a name for himself at local DeMatha Catholic High School, eventually accepting an offer to play at Notre Dame.

“I’ve been around the Wizards, been around this area my entire life,” Grant said. “Being a fan, having my dad play for them, being a ball boy, seeing all those players come through. Juwan Howard, Rod Strickland, Chris Webber – those guys are people I looked up to, people I wanted to be like. To finally be able to put on that jersey means a lot.”

After a pair of all-conference teams and a consensus All-American season 2014-15 at Notre Dame, Grant was actually drafted by the Wizards in 2015, but was dealt to the Knicks as part of a draft-night deal between Washington, New York and Atlanta. After his rookie year with the Knicks, he was traded to the Bulls the following offseason, where he spent two years. He played in 137 games with Chicago, including 54 starts. His best season came in 2017-18 with Chicago when he averaged 8.4 points and 4.6 assists in 22.8 minutes per game. In 2018-19, Grant appeared in 60 games with the Orlando Magic.

Grant is well-travelled for someone who has spent just five years in the league. While he’s yet to spend more than two seasons with a team, his impact on the court has been noticeable at each stop. In his four years in the NBA, he’s never appeared in less than 60 games in a season, he’s averaged at least 15.0 minutes per game each of those four seasons and has consistently produced the do-it-all stat lines you’d expect from a player of his size and versatility.

While his dream-come-true moment will arrive when he slips on his Wizards jersey for the first time later this month, Grant’s true homecoming came this season with the Capital City Go-Go, the Wizards G League affiliate, where he played 39 games, averaged 16.3 points, 5.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.

Grant said he first felt like playing in the G League was a step back having just spent four seasons in the NBA, but came to realize over the course of the season that it was all “just a part of his journey.” Grant credits Go-Go head coach Ryan Richman for helping him come to that realization and for the development he showed over the course of the year.

“Coach Richman really helped me out, putting the ball in my hands and letting me be the player that he knows I can be,” Grant said.

Grant was a clear leader of the team, starting all but two of the games he played in, and made noticeable improvements to his game as the season went along. Playing mostly point guard, Grant’s assist average improved every month from November through February. His most notable point of development, however, came from beyond the arc. After shooting 32.4% from deep in his four NBA seasons, Grant became one of the G League’s best 3-point shooters this year, hitting 43.5% on nearly four attempts per game.

When he joins the Wizards, Grant will be reunited with David Adkins, Washington’s director of player development, whose pre-NBA coaching career is littered with college and high school accolades. Adkins, who helped 41 players earn Division I scholarships during his time as a high school coach, overlapped with Grant for three seasons at DeMatha.

“Coach Adkins was one of the guys who really helped me become the player I am today,” Grant said. “When he got into the NBA and we couldn’t work together as much as we used to because of the rules, it was tough for me, but at the same time, I was excited for him. But now to be able to get back with him is going to be great for my career and I know that he’s excited for it too.”

Grant praised the tight-knit, “family” culture within the Monumental Basketball organization, where the Wizards and Go-Go often shared practice space and worked as one unit.

“Having (Wizards General Manager) Tommy (Sheppard) and the guys on the Wizards treating me like I was one of their own was a lot,” Grant said.

Grant said that as games passed and the 2019-20 season progressed – however unlikely it may have been – he still felt like the call-up was on the horizon.

“Being with the Go-Go, I felt like my opportunity was coming, but as the season went on, it wasn’t there, but I felt like eventually I was going to get that call,” Grant said. “I was devastated when the pandemic happened and (the G League) season had to get canceled, but at the same time, I stayed ready. Once I heard (Davis) Bertans was opting out (of playing in Orlando), I got a little excited, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high. When that phone call came, it was just like a dream come true.”

“Everyone was excited for me,” he said. “Playing with the Go-Go was actually my first time playing and being home like that since high school. That was exciting for everybody, but to actually be on the Wizards and to be able to call myself a Wizard. Not only my family, but my friends and people from the city that know me and know that I’m from here were really excited for me. That type of support really meant a lot.”

As for his role on the court, Grant said his main goal is just to help the Wizards win games.

“I feel like I have a lot of different aspects to my game,” Grant said. “Whether it’s defense, making shots, creating, being somebody that can help the team win. I’ve been in the playoffs a few times. I’ve played in the playoffs, started games in the playoffs. (I am) someone that can help the team going forward.”

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DMV native Jerian Grant on joining the Wizards: "A dream come true"

Last week, the NBA announced the full schedule for all 88 “seeding games” to take place between the 22 teams partaking in the league’s restart at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Each team, including the Wizards, will play eight seeding games to wrap up the regular season and set the 16-team playoff field. At the conclusion of the seeding game period, any team within four games of the eighth seed in either conference will enter into a double-elimination play-in series for the final spot.

Yesterday, in the first part of a two-part series, we broke down the Wizards’ first four seeding games – matchups against the Suns, Nets, Pacers and Sixers. Today, we take a look at their final four games of the seeding period. Washington faces a tough stretch to close the seeding games, facing off against the Pelicans and Thunder before a pair of games with two of the East’s best: the Bucks and Celtics.

The Pelicans were the only team in the league the Wizards had yet to play prior to the season’s suspension as both matchups were scheduled to take place in the month of April.

A stretch of six wins in eight games from late January to early February propelled the Pelicans back into serious playoff conversation. In that time, Brandon Ingram (22.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game) and Zion Williamson (21.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game) led the way as the team ripped off wins of 15, 14, 28, six, seven and 21 points, respectively. Their two losses in that stretch came against the league-best Bucks and the Rockets.

In the team’s five games played in the month of March, New Orleans is getting production all across the rotation. Three players are averaging 20-plus points, six players averaging over five-plus rebounds and the team’s backcourt duo of Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday are each registering over 7.5 assists per game.

Entering the hiatus, the Pelicans had won two straight and were 5-5 in their last 10. At 28-36 on the season, New Orleans currently sits at 10 in the Westerns Conference standings.

Williamson, the number one pick win the 2019 NBA Draft, billed as one of the league’s next stars, made his debut for the Pelicans on January 22 against the Spurs after missing the first 44 games of the season with a knee injury. Including his debut, Williamson played in 19 of New Orleans’ last 20 games leading into the suspension of the season, averaging 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Williamson’s rebounding average, through accumulated over a small sample size of games, tops the rookie class and is 0.8 more boards per game than the second place Rui Hachimura.

Williamson does most of his damage in the paint, using his strength to bully opponents regardless of their position and his athleticism – uncanny for someone of his 285-pound build – to get to the rim with ease. In his debut against San Antonio, he announced his arrival with four 3-pointers made in a span of 2:34 early in the third quarter, but the sequence has since proved to be an anomaly. In 19 games, 95.4% of the rookie’s field goal attempts come from within the arc and over 92 percent from within 10 feet of the rim. Williamson is shooting nearly 59.5% from two-point range this season.

October 25, 2019: Wizards 97, Thunder 85 (BOX SCORE)

Washington and Oklahoma City’s only prior matchup this season came in the Wizards’ second game of the year, way back on October 25, 2019. With what will be nearly 9.5 months between matchups, there is only so much to take from the first game, though there are some positives for the Wizards to try and replicate.

The Wizards’ defense in 2019-20, while showing signs of improvement in the second half of the season, has been a weak spot. The unit’s showing against the Thunder, however, was among their best of the year. Washington won the game 97-85, holding Oklahoma City to just 15 points in fourth quarter. Chris Paul and Steven Adams, each of whom are among the top five scorers on the team, combined for just 13 points against the Wizards. Bradley Beal struggled from the field, hitting just 7-22 (.318) shots, but came up big in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points on 3-5 (.600) and 2-2 (1.000) from deep. Five Wizards scored in double figures, led by a 21-point, 11-rebound performance from Thomas Bryant.

Bucking preseason predictions from around the NBA world, the Thunder have been one of the surprise teams of the 2019-20 NBA season. After trading away franchise stalwart Russell Westbrook to Houston, expectations sank, but the team’s performance this season – 40-24 pre-hiatus and fifth in the Western Conference – has Oklahoma City fans as optimistic as they have been since the team’s prime in the early-to-mid 2010s.

After a so-so start to the season, the Thunder got going around mid-December. A win over the Hornets on December 16 marked the start of a 21-6 stretch over the course of nearly two months that propelled them into the uber-competitive second tier of the Western Conference, well ahead of expectations for the season. The Thunder stayed hot heading into the hiatus, winning eight of their last 10 games, including wins over the Pelicans, Nuggets, Spurs, Kings and Celtics. Their only two losses in that time came to the Bucks and Clippers, two of the best teams in the league.

Chris Paul, acquired by Oklahoma City in the aforementioned Russell Westbrook trade, has been the team’s rock this season. With 14 years of experience, Paul is the grizzled veteran among a group with just two players, Paul included, that have more than six years of experience in the league. Paul, a 10-time All-Star, nine-time member of the All-Defensive team, eight-time member of the All-NBA team, and touted for his basketball IQ, is well-equipped to lead a young, developing roster like the Thunder’s.

Paul ranks just fourth on the team in scoring with 17.7 points per game, ceding most of those duties to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and Dennis Schroeder who each average over 19.0 points per game. Paul, instead, masters the little things. Paul leads the team and ranks seventh in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio among players averaging at least 25.0 minutes per game (3.11). He leads the team in steals (1.6) and assists (6.8) per game and is first on the team in net rating (6.8). Paul is shooting only 12.8 times per game, but is making the most of each one. He ranks first among guards on the team with a 55.2% effective field goal percentage.

January 28, 2020: Wizards 131, Bucks 151 (BOX SCORE)

February 24, 2020: Wizards 134, Bucks 137 (BOX SCORE)

Prior to the NBA’s suspension of the season, the Wizards and Bucks met twice with two more matchups scheduled for late March. In each of the teams’ two meetings so far, offenses thrived, averaging 276.5 combined points. Washington fell in both matchups, but the scoring itself was a point of success given Milwaukee’s league-best 101.9 defensive rating this season, specifically that of Bradley Beal, who averaged 51.0 points in the two games.

The Wizards and Bucks met first on January 28, a 20-point home win for Milwaukee despite playing without reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. All-Star Khris Middleton led the way for the Bucks with 51 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while Eric Bledsoe scored 34 points of his own and dished out 10 assists. Beal, who scored 47 points in the game, led a third-quarter comeback to bring the Wizards back within reach, but the Bucks’ early lead behind an 88-point first half was too much to overcome.

On February 24, the Bucks and Wizards met again – this time in D.C. Antetokounmpo suited up, but it was again a scoring duel between Beal and Middleton. Beal, coming off a 53-point performance the night before in Chicago, scored 55 points against the Bucks, becoming the first player since Kobe Bryant in 2007 to score 50 points on back-to-back nights. Most of Beal’s production came in the second half, helping overcome a 17-point Milwaukee lead in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Middleton took control in overtime, however, and finished with 40 points to lead the Bucks to a three-point win.

Statistically, the Bucks have been the best team in the league all season. Milwaukee went into the league’s hiatus with a record of 53-12 and a three-game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers for the best record in the NBA. The Bucks were a dominant 28-3 at home, but had no trouble on the road either, going 25-9 away from Fiserv Forum, the second-best road winning percentage in the league. Their per game point differential (+11.2) is nearly four points higher than the next-best team and ranks fifth in NBA history.

Milwaukee, though, was on a bit of a slide heading into the suspension. After a 20-2 stretch from January 8-March 1, the Bucks dropped four of five and lost three straight games before the hiatus.

Coming off an MVP award in 2018-19, Antetokounmpo hasn’t missed a beat. He’s averaging career highs in points (29.6), rebounds (13.7) and free throw attempts (10.0) per game despite playing the fewest minutes per game since his rookie season (30.9). Antetokounmpo has scored 30-plus points in 33 of his 57 games this season and has recorded a double-double in all but five games, three of which he finished with nine rebounds.

Antetokounmpo thrust himself into the “best player in the league” conversation, averaging at least 26.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steaks in each of the last three seasons. Nearly everything Milwaukee does runs through his hands – and for good reason. At 6’11,” Antetokounmpo has the build to beat big men on each end of the court and the skills to handle the ball like a point guard and facilitate most of Milwaukee’s offense. Antetokounmpo is not only likely to repeat as MVP, but is a leading to candidate to take home his first Defensive Player of the Year award whenever awards are announced.

November 13, 2019: Wizards 133, Celtics 140 (BOX SCORE)
January 6, 2020: Wizards 99, Celtics 94 (BOX SCORE)

The Wizards and Celtics have met twice this season with vastly different outcomes. In their first matchup, a November 13 game in Boston, the Wizards fell, 140-133, despite 44 points, six assists and five rebounds from Bradley Beal. The Celtics were led by Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who each scored 20-plus points. Both teams shot over 50.0% from the field in a shootout that included 10 lead changes and 11 ties.

In their second meeting, defense – and the Wizards – prevailed. Washington won, 99-94, holding the Celtics to 34.7% from the field. The Wizards, playing without Beal, Thomas Bryant, Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura and Moritz Wagner, were led by 27 points off the bench by Ish Smith. Smith did most of his damage late, playing the final 13:17 of the game to help seal the Wizards’ win. In the fourth quarter, Smith scored 14 of his 27 points on 6-8 (.750) from the field and accounted for all but three of Washington’s field goals in that time.

The Celtics 43-21 record is good for third in the Eastern Conference and fifth in the NBA overall, thanks mostly to a 10-1 start to the season and a 12-2 stretch between January and February. Boston has been one of the league’s best teams all season long despite battling injuries to a number of top-line players. The Celtics slid into the hiatus, going 2-4 in their final six games, though all four losses came against teams that have qualified to play in Orlando and their last game, a three-point win, came against a Pacers team not far behind them in the Eastern Conference standings.

While the Celtics’ record depicts them as part of the larger group of contending teams looking to make noise in Orlando, the advanced numbers are even more complimentary of the Boston’s performance. The Celtics, Clippers and Lakers are the only three teams to rank in the top five net rating, offensive rating and defensive rating this season. From an individual perspective, Jayson Tatum (23.6), Kemba Walker (21.2) and Jaylen Brown (20.4) lead the way for Boston on the offensive end and are the only trio of teammates averaging over 20.0 points per game this season.

Jayson Tatum, one of the league’s brightest young stars, playing in his third season in the league, made what many often refer to as “the jump” around the middle of the season. Elevating his game to new heights, Tatum helped sustain team success through a series of injuries to key contributors such as Gordon Heyward, Kemba Walker and fellow young wing Jaylen Brown. This season, Tatum is averaging career highs almost entirely across the board. He’s seen jumps in rebounds, assists and free throw attempts per game – but most notably in scoring. After averaging 13.9 and 15.7 points in his first two years in the NBA, Tatum is scoring 23.6 per game this year – and 29.6 points per game since February 5. Tatum’s leap put the Celtics back on the map in terms of title contention this season and has rewritten most experts’ expectations of where his career can go from here.

At his best, Tatum is a pure scorer. Getting to the basket, scoring from mid-range and hitting from deep are all well within his comfort zone. Scoring off the dribble, in pick-and-roll situations and as a catch-and-shoot threat, Tatum can do it all when it comes to putting the ball in the basket.

The Wizards, though, have done well against Tatum this season, holding him to just 20.0 points per game in their two meetings. Washington’s success against Tatum is due mostly to their ability to keep him in check from distance. In those two games, he is shooting just 22.2% from 3-point range.

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Wizards' Opponent Breakdown: Games 5-8 (NOP, OKC, MIL, BOS)

Earlier this month, the NBA and NBPA announced an agreement to return to play after a three-month hiatus aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. In early July, 22 teams, including the Wizards, will report to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fl. to begin team training for official game action, which is set to resume later that month.

Below is everything you need to know about the NBA’s return, the Wizards’ outlook and preparations, how to follow and more. This list of FAQs will be updated as more information is made available.

After training camps and a series of scrimmages throughout the month of July, official game play will begin with a pair of primetime games on July 30, though the Wizards will not play their first game until the following day, July 31.

How is the remaining schedule structured?

Last week, the NBA announced the schedule for all 22 teams participating in the league’s restart in Orlando. An overview of the Wizards’ schedule can be found HERE.

Each team in attendance will play eight “seeding games” to determine the top eight teams in each conference who will advance to the NBA Playoffs. The league added one twist to allow for extra competition for the spot in each conference.

According to a league announcement: “If the team with the eighth-best combined record in its conference is more than four games ahead of the team with the ninth-best combined record in the same conference, then the team with the eighth-best record would earn the eighth playoff seed.”

“If the team with the eighth-best combined record in its conference (Team A) is four games or fewer ahead of the team with the ninth-best combined record in the same conference (Team B), then Teams A and B would compete in a play-in tournament to determine the eighth playoff seed. To earn the eighth playoff seed, Team A would need to defeat Team B once and Team B would need to defeat Team A two games in a row.”

Once the top eight seeds in each conference are determined, the league will proceed to a traditional 16-team, two-conference playoff format with four best-of-seven rounds, concluding with the NBA Finals. A possible Game 7 of the NBA Finals would take place no later than October 12, but could be moved up depending on the results of prior rounds.

Of the 22 teams returning to action, 13 come from the Western Conference and nine from the East. To qualify, teams had to be within six games of the eighth seed at the time play was suspended in March.

Eastern Conference: Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards

Western Conference: Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns

What do the Wizards have to do to qualify for the playoffs?

The Wizards (24-40) are currently 5.5 games back of the Orlando Magic (30-35) for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and 6.0 games back of the Brooklyn Nets (30-34). Washington needs to get within four games of Orlando by the end of the eight seeding games to trigger a double-elimination play-in series against the Magic. In other words, the Wizards must close a 1.5 game gap in the standings and then win the double-elimination series to secure the eighth seed.

Where will the Wizards’ games be broadcast?

The Wizards’ first seven games will be televised on NBC Sports Washington, with the broadcast information for their final game against Boston still to be determined. All games will be broadcast via radio on WFED 1500 AM. As of today, the Wizards will play one nationally televised seeding game when they take on the Sixers on August 5. The game will be broadcast on NBATV.

When and where will the Wizards begin training for their return to play?

For the last few weeks, Wizards players have been training on an individual, voluntary basis at the team facility. Inclusion of the coaching staff in those workouts was slowly integrated as the return process moved from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of the NBA’s plan. On July 1, the team will begin to host mandatory workouts at the team facility, though they still be conducted individually.

Once arriving in Orlando on July 7 and after passing the necessary testing requirements, players will be cleared to being participating in team workouts, practices, weight training and other team activities, including the team’s scrimmages leading up to the seeding games.

How does the NBA’s return to play impact the offseason schedule?

In addition to the remainder of the season’s schedule, the league announced a number of key offseason dates that were delayed due to the hiatus, including the NBA Draft Lottery, the NBA Draft and a tip-off date for the 2020-21 season. Assuming all moves according to schedule, the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery is set to take place on August 25 and the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery on October 16. The start of the 2020-21 regular season will likely tip off in early December.

How does the new format impact the NBA Draft Lottery?

According to a league announcement: “The 14 NBA Lottery teams would be the eight teams that do not participate in the restart and the six teams that participate in the restart but do not qualify for the playoffs. These teams would be seeded in the lottery and assigned odds based on their records through games of March 11. The 16 playoff teams would draft in inverse order of their combined records across regular-season games and seeding games.”

No team in attendance in Orlando will see their lottery odds improve based on how they play in the seeding games. Based on the current standings, the Wizards will likely be either the 9th or 10th best odds if they do not qualify for the playoffs and the 15th best odds if they qualify for the playoffs.

The remainder of the season will be conducted in its entirety at Walt Disney World Resort, a private campus environment that allows players and staff and enclosed setting for all their games, practices, housing and recreation for however long their team is competing. The campus environment is intended to minimize risks related to COVID-19.

What is the league doing to keep the environment safe for those in attendance?

The league sent to teams an extensive series of health and safety protocols, including guidelines for team training camps in their home cities, the travel and arrival process in Orlando, living accommodations on the Disney World Resort campus, recreational options and, of course, on-court and in-arena activity.

The NBA’s guidelines included a six-phase plan that runs through the NBA Playoffs. The first three phases apply to the 22 participating teams’ efforts to train and prepare for resumption while in their home cities; Phase 4 covers transport, arrival and clearance to begin team activities in Orlando; and Phases 5-6 detail protocols for the resumption of gameplay, including scrimmages, seeding games and the NBA Playoffs.

General protocol that applies from start to finish includes facemask requirements at all times, except for when dining, working out, participating in activity outdoors not within six feet of another person and time spent in one’s individual room. The league states that six feet of distance should be maintained at all times excluding workouts, training and game play.

The remainder of the NBA season will be closed to the public. All information related to Wizards season tickets, partial plans, group tickets, individual game tickets and more can be found HERE.

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Wizards FAQs: What to know about the NBA’s return plan

With the schedule now released for the NBA’s return to play in Orlando, franchises and fans are equipped to map out their team’s path to the postseason. Washington, and each of the other 21 teams participating in the league’s resumption at Walt Disney World Resort, will play eight “seeding games” to wrap up the regular season and set the 16-team playoff field. At the conclusion of the seeding game period, any team within four games of the eighth seed in either conference will enter into a double-elimination play-in series for the final spot.

Washington’s road to the playoffs is difficult with only the contending teams left standing, but not impossible. At 5.5 games back of the eight-seed Magic and 6.0 games back of the seven-seed Nets, the Wizards only need to make up a deficit of 1.5 games to prompt a play-in series for the final spot in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

The Wizards open against the Suns on July 31 before matchups with the Nets, Pacers, Sixers, Pelicans, Thunder, Bucks and Celtics over the course of 13 days. Washington is a combined 6-5 (.545) against those teams this season, though they have yet to face off against New Orleans. The schedule provides reason for hope for Wizards fans as the team dodged matchups with most of the league’s elite, but a hot start will be crucial to making up the necessary ground in the standings.

In this two-part series, we dive into the Wizards’ path through the seeding games, breaking down each opponent by their previous matchups with Washington, where they left off before the season was suspended and highlight each team’s key player to watch. Up first, the Wizards’ first four opponents: Phoenix, Brooklyn, Indiana and Philadelphia.

November 27, 2019: Wizards 140, Suns 132 (BOX SCORE)

The Wizards and Suns have met just once this season – a scoreboard-shattering 140-132 shootout win for Washington on November 27. At the time, the Wizards’ offense was playing some of its best basketball of the season. The win over the Suns was one of eight games in an 11-game stretch in which Washington scored over 120 points. Against Phoenix, Washington came out hot, scoring 74 points in the first half as Bradley Beal, Thomas Bryant, Ish Smith and Jordan McRae (now on the Pistons) all scored in double figures in the game’s first two quarters.

The Wizards led by as many as 21 mid-way through the third quarter and by as many as 16 early in the fourth. The Suns, however, made it interesting down the stretch. All-Star Devin Booker scored 14 of his 27 points in the second half to cut the lead to four in the game’s final minutes, but clutch free throws from Beal and Rui Hachimura helped clinch the Wizards win. Bryant, amidst one of his best multi-game runs of the season, scored 23 points to go along with nine rebounds and five assists while Smith notched 21 points on 8-11 (.727) and seven assists off the bench.

At the time of the league’s suspension, the Suns were 26-39 and ranked 13th in the Western Conference – just one spot above the Wizards in the overall league standings. Phoenix started the year surprisingly hot, going 7-4 in their first 11 games, but saw that pace tail off as the season progressed. An eight-game losing streak in December sent them slipping down the standings, though they kept themselves within reach in a competitive West. Phoenix earned a 140-131 win over league-leading Milwaukee on March 8, a bright spot in a 2-5 slide heading into the hiatus.

The Suns rank in the middle of the pack on both sides of the court – 16th in offensive rating and 19th in defensive rating – and are ninth in pace, setting up what could be a back-and-forth affair against the Wizards. While Devin Booker leads the way for the Suns with 26.1 points per game this season, the Phoenix scoring attack is relatively balanced. In their last 10 games before the suspension of the season, eight Suns averaged over 10.0 points per game. DeAndre Ayton (19.9 points, 12.0 rebounds) and Ricky Rubio (16.8 points, 10.4 assists) each averaged a double-double in that time.

The unquestioned focal point of the Phoenix offense is Devin Booker, who was selected to his first All-Star game this season. Booker, averaging over 26.0 points, 6.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds for the second season in a row, is already one of the league’s most dynamic perimeter scorers at just 23 years old. Booker can score both inside and out, off the dribble and in catch and shoot situations. From deep, he’s shooting 39.9% on catch-and-shoot threes and 34.2% on triples off the dribble – both impressive numbers for a guard with a usage rate (29.5) as high as his. Heading into the hiatus, Booker had scored 20-plus points in 10 of his last 11 games, averaging 24.7 points and just shy of eight assists per game. Booker ranks seventh in the league with 23 30-point games and has tallied at least seven assists in over half his games played this season.

February 1, 2020: Wizards 113, Nets 107 (BOX SCORE)
February 26, 2020: Wizards 110, Nets 106 (BOX SCORE)

The Wizards are 2-0 against the Nets this season, making them the only team in Orlando that Washington has beaten multiple times in 2019-20, with both meetings coming in February. In their first matchup, Bradley Beal scored 34 points, including 15 in the final seven minutes, to lead a late Wizards comeback. Three Wizards – Thomas Bryant, Ish Smith and Davis Bertans – came off the bench to score in double figures. Washington trailed by nine with just over seven minutes left in the game before Beal went on a tear, sparking a 23-8 Wizards run to close the game. Spencer Dinwiddie (26 points) and Joe Harris (22 points) led Brooklyn in scoring while Jarrett Allen did a little bit of everything, totaling 13 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and two blocks.

In their second meeting of the season, the Wizards’ bench unit combined for 47 points, but it was again Beal’s magic in the fourth quarter – and a couple clutch plays from newly acquired Jerome Robinson – that put Washington over the top. With the Wizards down 84-81 entering the fourth quarter, Beal turned it on, scoring 17 points on 6-12 (.500) from the field and 3-5 (.600) from 3-point range in the final frame. Beal finished the game with 34 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals. With nine seconds left in the game and the Wizards down 106-105, Robinson, playing in just his seventh game with the Wizards, took a pass from a double-teamed Beal and knocked down the lead-taking 3-pointer. Eight seconds later, Robinson fully claimed the moment when he stepped to the line and knocked down a pair of game-sealing free throws.

Brooklyn went into the hiatus having won four of its last five games, including victories over the Celtics, Spurs and Lakers. The win over Los Angeles came in their final game and was fueled by 20-point performances from Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie, who have led team in scoring since early February when Kyrie Irving underwent surgery to relieve a right shoulder impingement.

Heading to Orlando, the Nets are 30-34 on the season, good for seventh in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn’s 2019-20 season has been headlined by injuries to major contributors as key offseason signee Kevin Durant has missed the entire campaign with an Achilles injury and Irving has been in and out of the lineup all season. In their absence, however, a handful of young players have proven their worth and kept the Nets in the playoff picture. While LeVert and Dinwiddie do a little bit of everything, Joe Harris spreads the floor, shooting 41.2% from three; Taurean Prince brings defensive toughness on the wing; and Jarrett Allen commands the paint, averaging 9.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks despite playing just 25.7 minutes per game.

Brooklyn’s identity for the last few years has been balance across the roster, pulling contributions from everywhere and embodying a “whole is greater than the sum of its parts” approach. Spencer Dinwiddie has stood out among the group; this season, his sixth in the league, Dinwiddie is averaging career highs in points (20.6), assists (6.8) and rebounds (3.5). He’s recorded six games this season with at least 20 points and 10 assists. At 6’5” and bearing a substantial wingspan, Dinwiddie is built for versatility on both ends of the court. According to NBA.com, he’s spent 65.9% of at guard and 29.2% at forward. That versatility will come in handy against a Wizards roster that runs deep with wing contributors. In two games against Washington this season, Dinwiddie is averaging 22.0 points, 4.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game.

November 6, 2019: Wizards 106, Pacers 121 (BOX SCORE)

The Wizards and Pacers have met just once this season, a 121-106 Indiana win at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in the first week of November. Since then, a great deal has changed for both teams. Two of the five Wizards players that scored in double figures that night (Isaiah Thomas and CJ Miles) are no longer with the team and the Pacers have since seen All-NBA guard Victor Oladipo, who missed the first 47 games of the season, rejoin the rotation.

There were, however, a few takeaways the Wizards can still pull from the performance. Thomas Bryant, against a formidable Indiana defensive front line, played one of his best games of the season: 20 points, 11 rebounds and 7-7 (1.000) at the free throw line. Bradley Beal, despite shooting 1-12 (.083) from 3-point range, still managed to total 30 points, 21 of which came in the first half, along with five rebounds and five assists.

At 39-26, the Pacers currently sit at fifth in the Eastern Conference, just two games back of the four seed and tied with the Philadelphia 76ers, who sit in sixth. After starting February with a six-game losing streak, the Pacers bounced back and entered the hiatus as one of the NBA’s hottest teams. Indiana has won eight of its last 11 games, including victories over the Bucks, Blazers, Spurs and Mavericks, all of whom have qualified to play in Orlando. They’ve done it mostly with defense, ranking fourth in the league in defensive rating (105.6) in that time.

For the better part of the season, Indiana has found its success through balance. As they fought to stay afloat without Oladipo, they relied on contributions from all across the roster. Now with Oladipo back, the group has maintained that balanced approach. In their last 11 games, four players averaged over 15.0 points per game: T.J. Warren (21.2), Domantas Sabonis (19.4), Oladipo (16.3) and Malcolm Brogdon (15.1). That group, however, still only accounted for 66.5% of the team’s points per game. Beyond their primary four scorers, Myles Turner, Doug McDermott, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and Aaron Holiday have all averaged over 7.0 points per game in that time. Indiana’s balance is unique in the modern, star-driven NBA, especially among teams near the top of the standings. The Wizards will rely heavily on their depth at the wing and front court positions to slow down each of Indiana’s threats.

In his fourth season in the league and third with the Pacers, Sabonis was selected to his first All-Star Game in February and has shown to be one of the league’s best, and perhaps still underrated, young big men. If Sabonis’ averages maintain through the final eight games in Orlando, he will join Giannis Antetokounmpo and DeMarcus Cousins as the only players in the last 15 years to average at least 18.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game over the course of a season. Entering the break, Sabonis had scored 20-plus points in each of his last three games and fell just short of a triple-double (28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists) in his last outing against Boston.

The premier attribute of Sabonis’ game is his touch around the rim, where he does the majority of his scoring. A capable shooter, mostly from mid-range, Sabonis shows enough to keep defenders honest, but attempts 73.5% of his field goals from within 10 feet of the basket, often showing off his footwork and deep repertoire of post moves. An above-average passer, Sabonis is one of just eight non-guards averaging at least 5.0 assists per game this season and recorded five-plus assists in seven of his last nine games before the league’s suspension.

December 5, 2019: Wizards 119, Sixers 113 (BOX SCORE)
December 21, 2019: Wizards 108, Sixers 125 (BOX SCORE)

The Wizards and Sixers split their two meetings so far this season, each of which came in December. The first, on December 5, was a six-point Wizards win behind 27 points from Rui Hachimura, 26 points from Bradley Beal and 25 points off the bench from Davis Bertans, who put on one of the most prolific long-range shooting performances of the NBA season. Hachimura (15) and Bertans (19) combined to score 34 points in the second quarter alone. Bertans’ shooting performance in the second quarter – 7-7 (1.000) from the field and 5-5 (1.000) from three, sparked a 19-4 Wizards run to take a double-digit lead into halftime. Bertans was 8-8 from the field and 6-6 from 3-point range in the first half, becoming the first Wizards player to hit at least six 3-pointers in a half without a miss since Trevor Ariza on March 1, 2014. The Wizards will have to find a way to make up for that scoring as they will be without Bertans in Orlando. In the second half, Beal took over, scoring 17 points, eight of which came from the free throw line, to help the Wizards fight off a late Sixers surge.

In their second meeting, it was Philadelphia’s overpowering defense that took control. The Wizards shot just 40.9% from the field and 22.6% from 3-point range. Beal topped 30 again – going for 36 points, eight rebounds and six assists – but it wasn’t enough as a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double from Joel Embiid and a near triple-double from Ben Simmons led Philadelphia to a 17-point win.

After a 20-7 start, the Sixers success tapered off a bit as the season progressed. Philadelphia heads to Orlando ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference at 39-26 and has already clinched a playoff spot with an 8.5-game lead over Brooklyn and a 9.0-game lead over Orlando. The Sixers rank sixth in the league in defensive rating (107.6), but have not been able to match that caliber of play on the other end. Philadelphia’s offensive ranks 18th in efficiency (109.7). The biggest challenge for the Sixers this season has been staying healthy. Their two biggest stars – Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid – have combined to miss 32 games, while Josh Richardson, another key contributor, has missed 17 games of his own. Simmons missed the final eight games before the suspension of the season, but is expected to return to play in Orlando.

Beyond injuries, Philadelphia’s home-road splits drove much of the conversation around the team this season. On the road, they struggled, going 10-24. At home, however, they had the best winning percentage in the league (.935), going 29-2 at Wells Fargo Center. That home-court advantage – and road-court disadvantage, for that matter – will be rendered null and void in Orlando as all games will be played without fans.

The Wizards, like most teams around the NBA, have struggled to keep Joel Embiid in check this season. In his first outing against the Wizards, he went for 26 points, converting on 11-14 (.786) free throws, and 21 rebounds. In his second matchup with Washington, Embiid scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a 17-point win.

Embiid ranks first on the team in points (23.4), rebounds (11.8), blocks (1.3) and net rating (4.8) and ranks fourth on the team in assists (3.1). At his best, Embiid is on the shortest short list of elite players in the league and is essentially unstoppable at both ends of the court. At 7’0”, 250 pounds, he is an immovable force in the paint that can also knock down an open 3-pointer if needed, hitting 34.8% from deep this season. Embiid, though, has struggled to stay on the court this season, missing 19 games due to injury, including five from February 27-March 7 due to a left shoulder sprain. The big man returned for one game before the hiatus, going off for 30 points and 14 rebounds in just 27 minutes in an 18-point win over Detroit.

Part two of the Wizards’ opponent breakdown series will be available Tuesday, June 30.

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Wizards' Opponent Breakdown: Games 1-4 (PHX, BKN, IND, PHI)

On Friday, the NBA announced scheduling details for all 22 teams participating in the league’s restart beginning in late July at Walt Disney World Resort. As announced already, each of the 22 teams will play eight “seeding games” to determine the 16 teams that will qualify for the NBA Playoffs. If multiple teams are within four games of the eighth seed after the seeding games, a double-elimination play-in series will determine the advancing teams. The playoffs will mirror their normal structure: 16 teams, eight from each conference and four rounds of seven-game series, concluding with the NBA Finals.

According to the league, all 88 of the seeding games were selected from the pool of 259 games left on the schedule prior to the suspension of the regular season. The initial set of matchups were balanced to ensure that if two teams had two or more matchups remaining against each other, at least one of those games would be played.

Below is a look at the Wizards’ eight-game schedule in full and an overview of what the team will face as it chases a playoff spot in Orlando.

“We are all looking forward to reuniting as a team and having the opportunity to represent our DC Family in Orlando as we resume the regular season,” said Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard.  “As exciting as it will be to see our players competing on the court again, we are equally eager to be able to use this platform to continue the amazing and inspiring work that our players and organization have done in addressing issues of social injustice and providing relief during the pandemic.”

The Wizards’ eight games will be played over a span of just 13 days. While the stretch will undoubtedly put the team’s conditioning to the test, the usual discussion of rest and days off will be framed differently in Orlando where no travel will be necessary. Washington is set to play one back-to-back, taking on the Nets and Pacers on August 2 and 3, respectively, but will have one day off in between every other game.

The schedule, as expected, is challenging. The league’s resumption of the season features only the 22 best teams in the league this season and will serve as a sprint for the final playoff spots left up for grabs. The schedule, however, does provide some reason for optimism. The Wizards’ first six seeding games are all against teams currently ranked outside the top four of their respective conference – before closing with a difficult pair of games against the Bucks and Celtics. Starting strong will be paramount for Washington if they want to fight their way back into the playoffs.

The Wizards begin their seeding game schedule on Friday, July 31, taking on the Phoenix Suns at 4:00 PM in what will be the teams’ second meeting of the season. Washington won a high-scoring affair, 140-132, in their first matchup in November.

While the stakes will be high in each of the eight seeding games, none may be more important than the Wizards’ matchup with the Brooklyn Nets, scheduled for August 2 at 2:00 PM. The Wizards, Nets and Magic are the only Eastern Conference teams participating in Orlando that have not clinched a playoff spot. Only two of the three will qualify for the postseason. Currently 6.0 games back of the Nets and 5.5 games back of the Magic, the Wizards are well within reach of forcing a play-in series against either. Washington, having already played Orlando four times this season, will not face the Magic during the seeding games unless a play-in scenario is necessary. In a what will be a rarity during the seeding games, the Nets and Magic will face each other twice – July 31 and August 11 – in matchups with substantial implications for the Wizards’ playoff chances.

After a pair of challenging Eastern Conference games against the Pacers (August 3; 4:00 PM) and Sixers (August 5; 4:00 PM), the Wizards will take on the Pelicans and 2019 number-one overall draft pick Zion Williamson on Friday, August 7 at 8:00 PM. Washington and New Orleans have yet to meet this season. The Wizards’ matchup against the Pelicans will be their first night game of the seeding period after starting off with four consecutive day games. Of the seven games with set tip times, Washington will play five day games and just two night games.

Two days later, the Wizards face the Thunder almost nine and a half months since the teams met on October 25, Washington’s second game of the season.  Oklahoma City has already clinched a playoff spot, but, like all Western Conference teams, will spend each of the eight games jockeying for position in a conference without much separation between seeds 2-7.

Washington closes the seeding period with the previously noted pair of games against two of the league’s best: Milwaukee and Boston. The Bucks currently hold the best record in the league at 53-12 and a 6.5-game lead over the Raptors in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards lost both prior matchups with the Bucks despite Bradley Beal averaging 51.0 points per game in their two meetings. Boston ranks third in the East at 43-21 and split its two games with Washington so far this season. The Wizards’ matchup with the Celtics is the only one on the team’s schedule without an announced tip time – as is the case with all 22 teams’ final game. Times for the final games of the seeding period will be announced at a later date.

The Wizards’ first seven games will be televised on NBCSW, with the broadcast information for their final game against Boston TBD.  All games will be broadcast via radio on WFED 1500 AM. As of today, the Wizards will play one nationally televised seeding game when they take on the Sixers on August 5. The game will be broadcast on NBATV.

According to the league, all teams that could potentially participate in a Play-In Tournament in their respective conference will complete their seeding games on August 14 to allow for a day off before the start of the Play-In Tournament on August 16. The First Round Playoff series will begin on either August 17 or 18.

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A closer look at the Wizards' eight-game schedule in Orlando

On this day 10 years ago, the Wizards selected John Wall with the number one overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft. Wall wasted no time carving out an identity for himself in the league: an uber-athletic, high-IQ guard that can change a game on each end of the court – one that he maintained for each of his first nine seasons in the league.

While Wall has spent the 2019-20 season on the sideline recovering from an Achilles injury, his impact has hardly waned. Throughout the season, Wall has remained active on the sidelines, serving essentially as another assistant coach and helping with the development of Washington’s bevy of young players. Head coach Scott Brooks welcomed the input from Wall, calling him a “savant” who will have no trouble entering the coaching or front office ranks when his playing career concludes. Wall’s contributions this season have spanned beyond the court as well. Most recently, Wall and the John Wall Family Foundation started the 202 Assist program to provide rent relief for Ward 8 residents hit hard by COVID-19. After setting an initial goal of $300K, the program closed Sunday having raised nearly double that, sending over $550,000 in rent relief, including $100,000 of his own donations, to one of the most underserved regions of the greater D.C. area.

Next season, Wizards fans and the NBA as a whole will witness Wall’s return to action. When that days comes, he’ll enter the second decade of his career as one of the most accomplished players in franchise history and one of the most intriguing injury return stories the league has seen in years. Below is a look at 10 of the most notable numbers that have defined Wall’s career so far.

Wall’s career is defined by unforgettable performances, highlight-reel passes and big time plays in big time moments, but his standing in franchise history is as much a result of longevity and volume. In an NBA ripe with superstar trades and landscape-shifting free agent signings every summer, a career like Wall’s – 10 years with the team he drafted him, multiple contract extensions and consistent loyalty between team and player – is hard to come by. 10 years in, Wall has played in 573 total games, which ranks seventh in franchise history. He sits within a season’s worth of games of passing Brandan Haywood (579), Kevin Loughery (591), Charles Jones (595) and Greg Ballard (643). After surpassing that group, Wall will trail only Elvin Hayes (731) and Wes Unseld (984), widely regarded as the greatest players in franchise history.

On January 12, 2018, Wall became the youngest player in franchise history and the fourth ever to surpass 10,000 career points. Wall, whose 10,879 points currently rank fourth in franchise history, is just 204 points behind Jeff Malone (11,083) for third, 507 points behind Bradley Beal (11,386) for second and 4,672 behind Elvin Hayes (15,551) for first.

From 2014-2018, Wall was selected to five consecutive All-Star games, including a start in 2015. Wall is one of four players in franchise history to make at least five All-Star games, tied with Wes Unseld and Gus Johnson and trailing only Elvin Hayes, who got the nod eight times. Wall and Hayes are the only players in franchise history to have been selected five seasons in a row. Wall shined in the 2016 All-Star game, scoring 22 points on 10-14 (.714) from the field and 2-2 (1.000) from deep.

No player in franchise history comes close to matching Wall’s prolific assist totals. In nine seasons, he’s racked up 5,282 assists, 1,460 more than Unseld, who ranks second on the team’s all-time list. Rod Strickland, who ranks third in franchise history, is another 1,110 dimes behind Unseld. In his 573 career games, Wall is averaging 9.2 assists per game, more than any player in franchise history (min. 100 games). Only Wall and Strickland (8.9) have averaged more than 7.0 assists per game over the course of their Bullets/Wizards career.

Wall’s place in passing history is not limited to the Wizards record book – he’s been among the best of his peers since joining the league in 2010-11. Since then, Wall has the third-most games with 10-plus assists in the league (264), trailing only Chris Paul (297) and Russell Westbrook (275), though Wall has done so playing substantially fewer games. Westbrook has played 710 games and Paul, 668 games, while Wall has totaled his 264 10-assist games in just 573 outings.

In addition to topping the franchise charts in assists, Wall is also in a class of his own when it comes to steals. Long regarded as one of the quickest, most anticipatory players in the league, Wall has tallied impressive steals from his first season in the league. He’s ranked in the top 15 in the league in steals six times, including 2016-17, when he led the league with 157. Over the course of his career, Wall has registered 976 steals, the most in team history and 214 more than second-place Greg Ballard.

Two 40-point, 10-assist, multi-steal games

Wall has been celebrated his entire career for what he brings on both ends of the court. Since 2010-11, Wall is one of just eight players in the league to have recorded multiple game with at least 40 points, 10 assists and two steals. The most statistically impressive game Wall has played in his career came on December 16, 2018 against the Lakers in which Wall totaled 40 points, 14 assists, six assists, three steals and two blocks, becoming just the second player in the NBA to hit those numbers in the time since he was drafted. The other player to hit those marks? Bradley Beal in 2019.

Six consecutive seasons averaging at least 8.5 assists

In his last six seasons, Wall has registered assist per game rates of 8.8, 10.0, 10.2, 10.7, 9.6 and 8.7, respectively, becoming just the ninth player in NBA history to average 8.5 assists or more for six consecutive seasons and one of just five players to do so since 2000.

Since the 2010-11 season, Wall has recorded seven triple-doubles, the first of which came on November 10 of his rookie season when he totaled 19 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds and six steals. At the time, Wall was one of just seven players in league history to ever hit the numbers in a game and the only one to do it as a rookie. Since joining the league, only seven players have registered more triple-doubles than Wall.

On March 17, 2017 against the Bulls, Wall struggled from the field, shooting just 4-13 (.308) on his way to just 14 points, but found another way to lead the Wizards to a win. That night, Wall registered 20 assists, becoming just the third player in franchise history – and the first since 1998 – to do so. In his career, Wall has recorded 15-plus assists 29 times, but the 20-assist threshold was one he’s reached just once. Since 2010-11, only seven other players have registered at least 20 assists in a game.

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Wall's first 10 years, by the numbers

On Friday, in celebration of Juneteenth and in protest of racial injustice across the country, Wizards and Mystics players, coaches and staff gathered outside Capital One Arena to rally and march peacefully with a crowd of supporters through the streets of D.C., across the National Mall, to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

The event began with a player-led announcement across social media on Thursday, informing fans, followers and supporters of where and when to show up and support.

The players and coaches began their day at Black Lives Matter Plaza, taking in the newly developed site on 16th Street before heading to the arena.

Once at the arena, Bradley Beal and Natasha Cloud addressed the crowd, speaking on the importance of active participation in fighting injustice, the meaning and significance of Juneteenth and the symbolism behind the closed fist imagery displayed on the t-shirts worn by players, coaches and staff.

Then, the march began. The team led the crowd down 7th Street, Constitution Avenue, across the National Mall and to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. As they made their way across the city, word of the march made its way around the D.C. and greater basketball community.