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The Wizards (3-8) are back at Capital One Arena Wednesday night hosting the San Antonio Spurs (5-9) at 7:00 P.M. in the first outing of a three-game homestand. This will be the second and final meeting of the season after the Spurs topped the Wizards 124-122 in the first week of the season.
Game Info
Capital One Arena | 7:00 P.M. | NBCSW | 1500 AM
Probable Starters
Wizards: G – Isaiah Thomas, G – Bradley Beal, F – Troy Brown Jr., F – Rui Hachimura, C – Thomas Bryant
Spurs: G – Bryn Forbes, G – Dejounte Murray, F – DeMar DeRozan, F – LaMarcus Aldridge, C – Trey Lyles
Injury Report
Wizards: John Wall (left Achilles rehab – out), Ian Mahinmi (right Achilles strain – out)
Spurs: Derrick White (left foot soreness – out)
Storylines
Wizards must capitalize at home before difficult road trip
The Wizards have not played a home game since November 8, a 113-100 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite an offense that has been among the league’s best, dominance from Bradley Beal and significant contributions from a collection of promising young players, the Wizards sit at just 3-8 on the season. With a looming four-game road trip, all against Western Conference teams above .500, the Wizards must take advantage of this week’s favorable three-game home stretch. The Wizards matchup with the Spurs precedes games against the Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings. The trio of opponents combine for a 16-24 record this season. The Wizards dropped a two-point matchup with the Spurs earlier this season and have yet to face off against Charlotte or Sacramento.
At the conclusion of the homestand, the Wizards depart for Denver to take on a 9-3 Nuggets team that has won six of its last seven games. The following night, on the back end of the Wizards’ second road back-to-back of the season, Washington takes on a Suns team that has been one of the league’s most notable early season surprises. After a day’s rest, the road trip concludes in Los Angeles with weekend matchups against the Lakers and Clippers. The combined record of the Wizards’ four opponents on the trip is a dominant 36-15. Banking a couple wins at home this week could be crucial prior to embarking on what will likely be the team’s most challenging road trip of the season.
More minutes for Moe?
Moritz Wagner’s early-season play has been a bright spot for the Wizards, highlighted by a 30-point, 15-rebound outing against Minnesota last Friday. Wagner’s energetic – sometimes frantic – style of play sets the tone for a Wizards bench unit that is among the league’s best. Wagner holds the highest 3-point shooting percentage among centers taking at least two per game (48.1%), leads the league in charges drawn (11) and is among the best in net rating (15.0). Per 36 minutes, Wagner is averaging 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.
Wagner has proven his worth. He’s shown a diverse NBA skillset and the ability to contribute, in spurts, at a high level. The next step is proving he can do so over longer stretches of time. In the Wizards’ first nine games of the season, Wagner topped 18 minutes played just twice, partly due to Washington’s deep frontcourt roster and partly due to his struggle to stay out of foul trouble. Wagner is committing 7.5 fouls per 36 minutes. If he is able to reduce his foul rate while maintaining the energy that has driven his success thus far, he’ll likely see a more substantial role in the Wizards rotation as the season progresses.
Slumping Spurs
When the teams last met, just days into the 2019-20 season, the Wizards marked the second of three consecutive wins for San Antonio. The Spurs won four of their first five games, outscoring opponents by almost eight points per game in their victories. However, those four wins came against teams that now hold a combined 14-39 record this season. Since that point and as their schedule has grown more difficult, San Antonio has struggled to maintain its early momentum. The Spurs have lost six consecutive games, including a 117-110 defeat at the hands of Dallas on Monday night, and eight of their last nine.
San Antonio’s defensive rating during their 4-1 start was 107.3, a sufficient number as their offense churned out a 112.4 rating, fourth best in the league. In their six-game losing streak, the Spurs struggles begin and end on defense. The offense has maintained a top-10 rating while the defense ranks second-to-last at 120.2. The Spurs have allowed 110-plus points in all six losses, including 120 or more three times. While the Wizards have had their own defensive struggles this season, Washington’s offense has been one of the league’s best in the last couple weeks and should be able to find success Wednesday night.