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As the 2-16 Wizards head into Cleveland, their task will be even more difficult as they face the 18-3 Cavs.
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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.
December 1, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada/Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
You’d be forgiven if, a quarter of the way through the season (yes), you haven’t given the following teams that much attention. Maybe your main rooting interest has been struggling, and it’s taken all your psychic energy to will them through the slump. Better yet, maybe your team is thriving and you’ve been enjoying the ride. Maybe you’re still looking for a team to get behind, in which case, the following three franchises would make great options.
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks being on this list has not alleviated my general wariness of the Hawks as a whole, but they’ve been playing through some of the things that make me doubt them. First, the Hawks love to play up. That is, they tend to excel against technically better and markedly more skilled teams; teams farther along the competitive timeline that I always get they feeling Atlanta would rather emulate than put the work in to be at the same level with.
This season, the Hawks are still playing up — they’ve beat the best in conference Cavaliers twice — but they’re recognizing what should be easy wins, like against the Charlotte Hornets. With Trae Young injured and in and out of the lineup, Atlanta’s bench has provided some of the most needed and entertaining offensive bursts in the league, with De’Andre Hunter back with a vengeance after being out for 10 games with a knee injury. Hunter’s regularly putting up 20-plus points per night, and hounding the glass.
Atlanta has a string of high-low games this week, facing the Pelicans, Bucks, Lakers and Nuggets, which should be an ample test to whether they can play and stay consistent.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Biz The DC Council has approved a significant renovation project for Capital One Arena. This development aims to enhance fan experience and modernize facilities, ensuring the arena remains a top-tier venue. (Bullets Forever)
Analysis In a deep dive into the Washington Wizards’ performance against the Milwaukee Bucks, a comprehensive statistical analysis reveals critical insights into team dynamics and areas needing improvement. (Bullets Forever)
Milestone Jimmy Butler misses shot so Bam Adebayo can record a triple-double in Heat win (Bleacher Report)
