Washington Wizards: 3 keys to keeping the win streak alive

2. The play of Kelly Oubre Jr. off the bench

The Washington Wizards bench has put together quite the performance since their three-game winning streak began, but it hasn’t been because they’ve been outscoring their opponents.

The Wizards bench ranks 20th in the NBA in scoring (32.2 points per game). It’s a number that should change with the move of Kelly Oubre Jr. back to the bench. Oubre has started six of the 13 games Washington has played, partly due to an injury Markieff Morris suffered. With Morris fully recovered, Oubre off the bench gives Washington a much-needed two-way player off the bench.

The Miami Heat rank 12th in the league in bench points per game (37.3). Their bench is led by James Johnson, a player who has the ability to make plays for the Miami offense. Johnson is averaging 12.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game this season.

The matchup between Oubre and Johnson will be one to watch closely as they both will be two X-factors in the next two games. Oubre has already put up a career-high 21 points on Nov. 3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s averaging a career-high 11.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 41.7 percent from 3-point range.

The bench will be key in the next two games as the Wizards look to keep their win streak alive.