addByline("Jackson Filyo", "WashingtonWizards.com");
The Wizards open the second half of their seeding game schedule on Friday night, taking on the Pelicans at 8:00 P.M. at VISA Athletic Center in Orlando. Washington is looking to bounce back from a nine-point loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday while the Pelicans are coming off a 15-point loss to the Kings Thursday afternoon. Friday’s game will be the first meeting of the season between the Wizards and Pelicans.
Pelicans rookie forward Zion Williams (rest) will not play.
Game Info
VISA Athletic Center | 8:00 P.M. | NBCSW | 1500 AM
Probable Starters
Wizards: G – Ish Smith, G – Troy Brown Jr., F – Isaac Bonga, F – Rui Hachimura, C – Thomas Bryant
Pelicans: G – Lonzo Ball, G – Jrue Holiday, F – Brandon Ingram, F – Jaxson Hayes, C – Derrick Favors
Injury Report
Wizards: Garrison Mathews (personal reasons – out)
Pelicans: Zion Williamson (rest – out)
Storylines
Smith’s leadership and on-court play key for Wizards in Orlando
While the Wizards’ young core has grabbed most of the attention of the course of the Orlando restart, Ish Smith has been a steady force in the team’s rotation. Smith has scored in double figures each game and leads the team in both assists per game (5.5) and usage rate (25.7%). The veteran point guard has even been a presence on the boards, grabbing at least four rebounds in three of Washington’s four games. On and off the court, Smith holds a leadership role with the team, taking young players, guards specifically, under his wing.
Against New Orleans – one of 10 teams Smith played with prior signing with the Wizards – he’ll play a key role, helping the Wizards keep up with a Pelicans team that ranks third in pace this season.
Wizards’ search for 3-point consistency
Four games into their seeding game schedule, the Wizards are still looking to find stability from beyond the 3-point arc. As a team, they’re shooting 33.6% from deep with a single-game high of 36.7% against the Pacers. Thomas Bryant’s 3-point shooting has been a welcome surprise for the team. After shooting 40.7% on 1.4 attempts per game prior to the hiatus, Bryant has shot 44.4% on 4.5 attempts per game in Orlando. Against the Nets, Bryant hit 4-6 (.667) from deep, setting a career high for threes in a game. Jerome Robinson ranks second on the team among qualifying players taking at least one 3-point attempt per game. Robinson is shooting 36.0% from deep on 6.3 attempts per game.
If the Pelicans’ performance against the Kings on Thursday was any indication, the Wizards may have a chance to buck their 3-point shooting slump. Sacramento shot 16-33 (.485) from beyond the arc against New Orleans, including 7-9 (.778) in the first quarter alone.
Pelicans playing on a quick turnaround
The Pelicans will be on short rest on Friday after playing the Kings one day prior. Zion Williamson, who will not play Friday night, and Brandon Ingram led the way for New Orleans, each scoring 24 points on better than 50.0% shooting from the field, but the Pelicans struggled to stop the Kings’ offense. Sacramento’s starting backcourt of De’Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic each topped 30 points. The matchup with Sacramento tipped at 1:30 P.M., which will give them a few extra hours of rest than a normal back-to-back would typically provide, though limited minutes and a longer bench could still come into play. However, New Orleans is fighting for its playoff life and cannot afford a loss to Washington.