3 goals for the Washington Wizards’ first road trip
By Evan O'Neill
3. Come back to D.C. at or above .500
The Wizards are sitting at 0-2 right now, so they’ll need to win at least three of their next five to reach .500 heading back to Capital One Arena.
First up, they’ll have a tough matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers didn’t make many moves this offseason, which has shown early on as they look to be a cohesive unit. This one is likely to come down to rebounding, as it often does for the Wizards, but it’s a game they are more than capable of winning if they outwork Portland on the the boards and the defensive end.
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It gets tougher for the Wizards from there, as they head to Golden State to play the reigning champs. Obviously, this will be a tough matchup for the Wizards, but they have a tendency to show up for big games (and unfortunately show down for lesser opponents). Last year, the Wizards lost both of their meetings with the Warriors, but both by single digits, so expect a good game.
The Wizards will then head to Sacramento, where they should come away with a win against the Kings. It’s a bit of a trap game for the Wizards coming off their game against the Warriors, but if they stay focused it should be a win.
Then it’s on to L.A., where the Wizards will take on the Clippers. This will be the turning point for the team. A win here will most likely determine if their road trip will be successful, or if they’ll come back to D.C. disappointed. The Clippers have looked solid so far this season, so again, Washington can’t take them lightly and will have to avoid any team’s biggest nemesis, L.A. nightlife.
The Wiz-kids will finish off their trip in Memphis against the Grizzlies on their way back to the Vault. This should be another win for the Wizards, but they will likely be tired and looking forward to getting through Memphis, so this also has potential to be a trap game. Again, the Wizards have to show they’re focused and want it more than they usually do if they want to get back to .500 by the end of this five-game road trip.