Tuesday night, the Wiz-Kidz head into Cleveland to face the 18-3 Cavaliers, who are presently 1st in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland, Ohio is the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Friday night fish fries. This time of year, the lake effect makes it very cold in Believeland, but the Wizards’ shooting woes could make it even colder. To have a chance against the Cavs, they will need to follow my three keys to development.
Three Keys to Development-
1. Defense and rebounding, the usual suspects or villains
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the best-scoring team in the NBA, averaging 122 points per contest. The Wizards are going to have a balanced defense to have a chance. Closing out to shooters and shutting down the paint should
be a start.
Matchup to watch - Brogdon/Poole vs Garland/Mitchell
2. Have a balanced offensive attack
They should attack the lane and force the Cav’s defense to collapse, so shooters can eat on the parameter. Look for better shooting nights from Poole, Kispert, and young sharpshooters Kyshawn George and Bub Carrington. They should also look to get Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley into foul trouble which will open up other opportunities.
3. Cultural mantra - Play hard, play to win
They need to get back to the mantra set forth by Head Coach Brian Keefe, Play hard and play to win. The Wizards are going to have a talent gap vs most teams in the NBA but culture is important, and culture is built by effort, we need to see more of it from the Wiz-Kidz.
Another matchup to watch - Sarr vs Allen
Prediciton- Wizards loss
