Washington Wizards: Preseason preview against New York Knicks
By Randy Porga
The Washington Wizards will face off against the New York Knicks on Oct. 6 in their first preseason game against an NBA team.
The Washington Wizards have been fairly quiet as a whole up until Media Day this summer. John Wall and Bradley Beal have been outspoken on a number of national issues, but basketball has recently come back to the forefront.
In an interview with Candace Buckner of the Washington Post, John Wall was candid in his feelings about yet another super team emerging in the West. The storyline has not changed for the Wizards since their core was confirmed to be sticking together. They are out to prove they can give anyone a run for their money, and they want respect.
However, seeing their best five players start the 2017-18 regular season strong and healthy is an absolute must. It is official that Markieff Morris has begun his 6-8 week recovery time from a sports hernia. Now the team must install a backup plan to prevent a weak start like last season.
Though they will face Guangzhou Monday night, the Washington Wizards will meet against the New York Knicks Friday as their first preseason game against an NBA opponent.
The Knicks recently lost their star player through trade and it is likely Kristaps Porzingis will be ruled out due to a bruised knee as a precaution. As a result, the Wizards should be able to test multiple rotations and see who works best starting at the 4 without too much resistance.
What to watch for
Kelly Oubre Jr. should be high in the pecking order to be considered the starting 4 or 3 in the absence of Morris, if not the No. 1 option off the bench. Coming off an underwhelming second season, he did have some success in spurts but needed to improve his shot from beyond the arc. This offseason he did as much as change his mechanics on his jumper, so he should get a solid amount of minutes with against the Knicks.
I see a small-ball rotation of perhaps the following:
- John Wall
- Bradley Beal
- Kelly Oubre Jr./Otto Porter Jr.
- Otto Porter Jr./Kelly Oubre Jr.
- Marcin Gortat/Jason Smith
It is quite possible we can see Otto Porter shift to the 4 and Oubre up to the 3. Jason Smith has made it clear that he is willing and able to play at either the 4 or 5 spot, so with variation of the mentioned rotation we can expect a high pace offense. This is something that New York as well is now trying to embrace, so we may see a interesting test of rotations like the one above.
Wall and Beal will likely have a field day against the Knicks backcourt. With multiple veterans and an unproven rookie at the 1 and Tim Hardaway Jr at the 2, the Wizards shouldn’t face much resistance offensively.
While it is just the preseason, both teams suffered from the lack of a reliable or consistent bench last season. This is what both teams primarily addressed in roster moves during the offseason, and will be looking to see results from a number of unproven players.
The Knicks play their first preseason game Oct. 2, while the Wizards will not debut against an NBA team until Friday, Oct. 6.
Next: Top 10 candidates for 2017-18 Most Improved Player of the Year
John Wall and the Washington Wizards will look to come out rolling on all cylinders in their preseason debut to set the tone for the 2017-18 season.