Just 24 hours after a hard-fought loss in Milwaukee, the Washington Wizards (2-13) are back in D.C. ready to host the Atlanta Hawks (7-7) for a Saturday night showdown. Here’s everything you need to know.
WHERE: Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)
WHEN: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: Monumental Sports Network
RADIO: 99.1 & The Wizards App
INJURY REPORT:
WIZARDS:
TBD
HAWKS:
Kobe Bufkin (left thumb fracture — out)
Mouhamed Gueye (right low back; stress fracture — out)
TYUS JONES PLAYING DOWNHILL
The Wizards are loving what Tyus Jones brings to the floor. He’s a steady-handed presence on offense. He doesn’t turn the ball over. He’s a coach on the court. He’s unflappable. One of the best parts about Jones’ game is that he doesn’t have to score to be effective, but he can score when called upon. On Friday night in Milwaukee, the Wizards needed Jones to look for his own shot, and he did just that.
Against the Bucks, Jones played his best game in a Wizards uniform, scoring a season-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field to go along with seven rebounds, seven assists, and zero turnovers. He had everything going for him, but he really made his bones getting downhill and finishing around the cup with his patented floater package.
It’s easy to look at Jones when he has a high-scoring night and understand the simple impact that has on the game. Whenever anyone on your team scores the ball efficiently, that’s a good thing. More points = a better chance of winning. But when Jones plays downhill, it has a snowball effect on the whole game. It’s bigger than just the points.
With Jordan Poole drawing the opponent’s best perimeter defender night in and night out, Jones is often left being guarded by “the other guy.” On Saturday night, that’ll likely present itself with Dejounte Murray guarding Poole and Trae Young guarding Jones.
Not only is Jones more than capable of getting by Young with the ball in his hands, but the more he makes Young work on defense, the less energy the Hawks’ superstar will have to carry the team on offense.
TRANSITION BASKETBALL
The Wizards and Hawks are two teams that love to run in transition and love to score the ball. The Hawks are second in the league in points per game (124.1) and get a significant chunk of that by way of the fast break. They’re tied for second in fast break points per game at 17.9.
Of course, when you score that much in transition, you’re naturally going to give up more in transition. That’s just the way it goes when you play an up-and-down style. The Hawks allow the second-most fast break points at 16.8 per game.
That’s an area the Wizards can look to take advantage of. Led by Kyle Kuzma and Deni Avdija, the Wizards have a number of guys who can grab rebounds and go. Look for this game to be fast-paced from the jump.
DANIEL GAFFORD PUTTING IN WORK
Daniel Gafford is quietly putting in work for Washington down low. Offensively, he’s looking more comfortable than ever, rolling off screens, navigating the open space in the paint, and finishing at the rim. Defensively, he’s blocking shots and cleaning the glass.
Over Gafford’s last six games, he’s averaging a near double-double, putting up 11.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. His growth in his new role as the sole starting big man is evident, and it’s been wonderful to watch. Against a Hawks team with the impactful Clint Capela in the middle, Gafford’s presence will be crucial yet again.
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