Global Games

Luke Askew

In the Wizards first of two exhibition matchups with the Golden State Warriors on Friday, hometown hero Rui Hachimura showed out in front of his friends and family. Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis got to play together for the first time. Johnny Davis got his first real NBA experience. And Wizards fans got a look at some fresh faces and how they fit in on the court.

Washington ended up losing 96-87, but they have another crack at the defending champs in Japan early Sunday morning.

WHERE: Saitama Super Arena (Saitama, Japan)WHEN: 1 a.m. ET; 2 p.m. local time&nbsp;TV: NBC Sports Washington & NBA TVRADIO: 980 AM & The Wizards App

Here are three things to watch for ahead of Game 2 in Japan.

At times during the preseason opener, the offense looked a little messy. That's to be expected in the first real action of the season. The rotations are different, there are new faces and skill sets on the court and some players coming off injuries were seeing their first game action in some time. It's normal for the guys to need to shake off some rust in the first preseason game. That's what the preseason is for.

Hopefully, the Wizards can keep building on some of the positives from their first game in Japan and improve on some of the negatives. For starters, knocking down outside shots would be a huge boost.

In the opener, the Wizards shot 6-of-35 (17.1%) from deep as a team, while established shooters Monte Morris, Corey Kispert, Porzingis, and Beal combined for 2-of-17 (11.7%). There should be some natural positive regression from three, especially for guys that have proven they're quality shooters.

There was a ton of offseason excitement about the offensive potential of Beal and Porzingis. They didn't take the court together last year, but in the preseason opener, they looked good as a tandem.

Late in the second quarter, they combined for a sensational highlight. Beal curled off a Porzingis screen at the elbow and got the ball from Delon Wright. Beal took one power dribble and lofted the ball to a rolling Porzingis where only he could read the ball. Porzingis snagged the ball with one hand and flushed it with authority.

It was an awesome example of what the two of them can do on offense. With Beal's on-ball gravity and Porzingis' ability to finish above the rim, there will be more opportunities for plays like that. Keep an eye on these two and how they progress together.

This was one of the main things to watch in the preseason opener, and it will continue to be one of the main things to watch throughout the entire preseason.

In the opener, D.C. fans got to see what a starting lineup of Morris, Beal, Hachimura, Porzingis, and Kyle Kuzma look like together. Will that be the starting lineup that Coach Wes Unseld Jr. rolls with again or will he change things up? What about the subbing pattern and the second unit? Will it look similar or will Coach Unseld try new combinations?

It's preseason for the whole team -- coaches and players. Everyone is still trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. It will be super interesting to see how Coach Unseld approaches this game compared to the last.

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Three things to watch: Wizards face Warriors in second preseason game from Japan

Jackson Filyo

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Photos: Wizards vs. Warriors - Japan Games 2022 (September 30)

Bright and early Friday morning, Wizards&nbsp;basketball is officially back. Washington and Golden State are set to tip off the NBA preseason from Tokyo.

With the Wizards’ first on-court action of the season now just hours away, here are three things to keep an eye on in the team’s 2022-23 debut.

Much&nbsp;has been made of the chemistry of this group of guys so far in training camp, which returns most of its 2021-22 core, but with a cast of new faces. Those new faces, however, bring their own set of connections across the roster.

Newly acquired guards&nbsp;Monte Morris and Will Barton have a connection with Coach Unseld from&nbsp;seasons prior in&nbsp;Denver. Morris and Kyle Kuzma grew up together as childhood friends. Kuzma and Delon Wright, who signed with Washington this offseason, played with one another collegiately at Utah.&nbsp;

On the flip side, the Wizards’ rotation features a few returning faces who have yet to take the court together. Friday’s game will mark the first time All-NBA guard Bradley Beal and All-Star center Kristaps Porzingis will take the court together in a Washington uniform.

One of the nice parts about this trip to Japan is that it should expedite the process of growing together as a group.&nbsp;

“At this juncture of the season, it’s also a great opportunity for bonding,” said Coach Unseld. “Your traditional camp is usually in your home market, but to have this opportunity to get away, it kind of pulls guys together.” 

Preseason action needs to be looked at through a far different lens than the regular season ball that will come weeks later, but it will be interesting to see how the Wizards get things going in terms of lineup combinations. How will head coach Wes Unseld Jr. choose to deploy the team’s multi-positional size? Will Kristaps Porzingis and Daniel Gafford see more minutes together as they did toward the end of last season? How will minutes be balanced between the team’s group of young wings? Where will the bevy of newly acquired guards fit alongside one another?

Things will likely change throughout the preseason and into the regular season, but it’s always fun to get that initial look at different combinations of talent.&nbsp;

This is a simple one. Hachimura is returning to his home country of Japan to play NBA basketball in front of his friends, family, and fellow Japanese hoops lovers. Don’t be surprised if he gets a raucous ovation at the start of the game, and don’t be surprised if the crowd erupts every time he&nbsp;makes an impact on the game. Hachimura is a fan-favorite in Japan, and this is a wonderful opportunity to watch him show out in front of his home country.&nbsp;

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Three things to watch: Wizards open preseason vs. Warriors Friday in Japan

The 2022 NBA preseason&nbsp;starts early for the Wizards. They’re not doing the typical slow ramp-up to the season with a few preseason games.&nbsp;

The team landed early this morning in Tokyo for a five-day stint headlined by a pair of exhibition games against the defending-champion Warriors. The Wizards will take on Steph Curry and Co. at Saitama Super Arena on Friday, September 30 (6AM ET) and Sunday, October 2 (1AM ET).

The trip to Japan&nbsp;is about more than just basketball, though. It’s an opportunity for the team to experience a new culture, some incredible food, and even see the home country of one of their teammates, Rui Hachimura.&nbsp;

For the players and coaching staff, the excitement and anticipation levels are high.

“I’ve never been to Japan,” said Deni Avdija. “I heard it’s a unique culture, and I can’t wait to go there and see a different side of the world. I know how to appreciate going to a different country and to absorb everything and get the culture and the food.”&nbsp;

“Your job makes it fun to go global and play in different countries,” Avdija continued. “It’s fun. It’s part of my job and it’s one of the blessings I got to do.”&nbsp;

Daniel Gafford also sees importance and excitement in experiencing different cultures.&nbsp;

“I really can’t wait to be in another culture out there in the world,”&nbsp;Gafford said. “Being in the American culture, you learn about America…but it’s always good to really just learn what’s going on around America, too.”&nbsp;

For Gafford, it’s all about values that his father instilled in him as a child.&nbsp;

“My dad was somewhat intertwined with it,” said Gafford. “He used to have his talks with me. You know, the little morning talks that your dad always gives you. I kind of paid attention to just some of the things that he said about all the countries around the world, and [Japan] was one of them. I can’t wait for it, because of all the conversations I’ve had with my pops in the past.”&nbsp;

This trip is extra important for fourth-year forward Hachimura, as it’s not only an opportunity to travel, but a trip home and a chance to see family.

“I want to see my family,” Hachimura said. “All my family is coming [to the game].”&nbsp;

Of course, this trip home comes with some tour-guide responsibilities for Hachimura.

“One thing I’m worried about is that we only have basically four full days,” said Hachimura. “If you go to Japan you need at least a week and a half to see different stuff…I’m setting up the team dinner, so I think the guys are going to love the dinner. The place that I picked is in the middle of everything, so they can see a lot of different stuff and different cultures.”&nbsp;

When the team returns to the U.S. after Sunday’s game against the Warriors, they’ll do so with a different perspective.They’ll come back with two games of experience playing against the defending champions and with a ton&nbsp;of experiences and stories that they’ll never forget.&nbsp;

Friday’s game against Golden State will be available on NBC Sports Washington and NBA TV and Sunday’s on NBA TV. Radio broadcasts of both game will be available live on Wizards Radio 24/7 on the Wizards app. Friday's game will also be live on 1580 AM and Sunday's game live The Team 980.

Global Games

Three things to watch: Wizards face Warriors in second preseason game from Japan

Photos: Wizards vs. Warriors - Japan Games 2022 (September 30)

Three things to watch: Wizards open preseason vs. Warriors Friday in Japan

Wizards excited for experiences on and off the court this week in Japan