Coming off a lopsided loss to the Nets on Friday night, the Wizards aim to bounce back on Sunday night in Memphis, taking on a Grizzlies team that is 6-3 on the season. Here's the information you need to know.
The Wizards announced on Sunday morning that Bradley Beal had entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and would be out for the game against Memphis. Beal will return to the team upon receiving clearance under the current NBA guidelines.
WHERE: FedExForum (Memphis, TN)
WHEN: 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: NBC Sports Washington
RADIO: 980 AM & The Wizards App
INJURY REPORT:
WIZARDS:
Bradley Beal (health and safety protocols -- out)
Delon Wright (right hamstring strain -- out)
GRIZZLIES:
Danny Green (left knee; surgery recovery -- out)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (right foot; surgery recovery -- out)
Ziaire Williams (right knee; patellar tendinitis -- out)
TRANSITION DEFENSE
Transition defense has been a struggle for the Wizards thus far. They're giving up the most transition points per possession in the league at 1.32.
It hasn't been a personnel issue. Kristaps Porzingis is a shot-blocking big man who can get up and down the court in a hurry. The Wizards have tons of athleticism and length on the wings. And they have veterans getting most of their backcourt minutes. The issue for the Wizards' transition defense has been their communication. They've struggled to identify matchups after misses and frequently lose guys while rotating.
Memphis is a team that will put Washington's transition defense to the ultimate test. They're in the top five in transition field goal attempts, and with Ja Morant's athleticism, he can make opposing defenses pay in a hurry.
Keep an eye on how the Wizards try to slow the Grizzlies down. When they can't do that, keep an eye on how they pick guys up in transition. It's been a point of emphasis for this team.
WING DEPTH
Now that Corey Kispert is back on the court and healthy, the Wizards' have all their rotation wings healthy and in action. Anthony Gill will likely get the starting nod alongside Kyle Kuzma again. From there, the Wizards will turn to Deni Avdija, Rui Hachimura, Will Barton, and Kispert. That's a nice mix of shooting, athleticism, playmaking, and defense.
Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. mentioned before Friday's game that there would be an undisclosed minutes restriction for Kispert on Friday. It's safe to assume that will be in effect again tonight.
Wing depth should be a strength for this team going forward. They just need to figure out which combinations of guys to play and when. This game against the Grizzlies is a good opportunity to see more of that.
3-POINT SHOOTING
The Wizards are 29th in the NBA in 3-point attempts per game. In a league that's trending more and more toward the deep ball, that's not where they want to be.
When asked before Friday's game where he wanted the team's number of 3-point attempts to be, Unseld Jr. said simply, "Much higher. It's not good."
It appeared as though that was a focal point for the team heading into the game. They came out firing from deep right away, and their first three buckets were by way of the long ball. They finished the game with 34 attempts (five more than their season average), but they were cold for most of the night, only converting on eight of those attempts.
Pay attention to how the Wizards approach the 3-ball during this matchup against a dynamic Grizzlies offense. If they want to keep pace, they'll likely have to knock down a sizeable number of treys.
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November 06, 2022 at 09:02PM
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Preview: Wizards look to right the ship in Memphis against the Grizzlies - NBA.com
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