Brandon Scott here, the host of the daily Locked On Wizards podcast, with your daily Locked On Wizards newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Wizards and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
The Wizards roll into Dallas and the “D” in Big D should stand for Defense if the Wizards want a chance.
The Wizards have one more stop before heading back to the confines of Capital One Arena, Dallas. The Wizards will try to grab a quick victory with Luka Doncic and Dereck Lively out. With Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Daniel Gafford, the Mavs have enough firepower to humble the Wizards but it’s the NBA and any team can win any given night. Here are my three keys to victory for tonight’s game.
Three keys to victory-
#1 - Defense
The Mavs are the 11th-best team in the Association in scoring, and the Wizards are the 30th-ranked defense. Needless to say, the Wizards will have their hands full. While they have the advantage in the paint, the Wizards will need to lock down the perimeter. Closing out shooters is a must.
#2 - Rebounding
The Mavs are the 13th-best rebounding team in the NBA and the Wizards are at 17th. However, with Dereck Lively out and Alex Sarr and Jonas Valanciunas playing good basketball, this is a favorable matchup for them to exploit.
#3 - Attack the basket
The Mavs are the 4th best blocking team but losing Dereck Lively humbles them slightly. Look for Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma to attack the basket, get to the free-throw line, and collapse the defense so shooters like Kispert and George can do their thing.
Join us tonight at 11:00 for the Wizards vs Mavs live recap.
Jan 20, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) rebounds beside center Nick Richards (2) in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. | David Richard/David Richard-Imagn Images
It’s hard to pinpoint problems for a middling team. Very bad and excellent teams at least have one thing in common, which is that their deficits are easy to spot. With a team languishing in the middle of the standings, not so bad they’ll slide to the bottom and not good enough to climb past the more competent contenders above them, the deficits stack up and shuffle from day to day.
The Suns are firmly in this category.
There’s personnel issues, that much is clear after center Jusuf Nurkic said over the weekend that he and head coach Mike Budenholzer have no relationship. Not a bad relationship, not a testy one, but none whatsoever. Nurkic also said that he and Budenholzer didn’t speak for two months, and that Budenholzer didn’t tell Nurkic he’d be coming off the bench. That goes directly against what Budenholzer told media when he made the decision.
It’s a strange departure given that Budenholzer travelled to Croatia in the summer, shortly after the Suns hired him to replace the one season shoes of Frank Vogel, to spend time with Nurkic. Nurkic admired Coach Bud’s accountability, and the way he in turn held his players accountable.
“That’s the number one thing I noticed about him that’s different from any coach in my career,” Nurkic said, back in October. “I’ve had a lot of them. I was really amazed he got over and spent a few days with me.”
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
Preview The Washington Wizards face the Dallas Mavericks in an upcoming game. The Wizards aim to capitalize on the Mavericks’ current struggles. Key players to watch include Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma. Full preview. (Bullets Forever)
Ranking Jordan Poole is making headlines as he climbs the ranks in the NBA All-Star 2025 voting. His performance this season has been a standout, elevating his status among fans and analysts alike. (Bullets Forever)
Opponent The Doncic-less Mavericks are looking to bounce back against the floundering Wizards. The game presents an opportunity for both teams to address their recent struggles. (Wiz of Awes)
Trade With two weeks until the trade deadline, the Wizards are described by two words: “Trade Bait”. This highlights the potential for major roster changes as the deadline approaches. (Bleacher Report)
Jan 25, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) reacts after making a three point basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita/Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The NBA action over the weekend was intense, with 15 games providing plenty of storylines to dissect. Let’s dive into some of the most notable performances and developments.
In Paris, the Indiana Pacers bounced back from their previous loss with a dominant 136-98 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Tyrese Haliburton led the charge with 28 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks in just 28 minutes. Andrew Nembhard continued his solid play with 15 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists, though I’m not convinced he’s a must-roster player in standard leagues.
The Golden State Warriors are becoming increasingly difficult to figure out. With Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green sidelined, Steve Kerr’s rotations were unpredictable. Trayce Jackson-Davis saw only 14 minutes, making it hard to justify holding onto in most formats. The flavour of the month seems to be Brandin Podziemski, who put up 17 points, three rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 28 minutes.
Injury Updates Shake Up Rotations
Several teams are dealing with significant injuries that are impacting their rotations. The Atlanta Hawks will be without Trae Young for their upcoming game, while De’Andre Hunter is questionable. This could open up opportunities for players like Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic to see increased usage.
