The last time the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies met, the Grizzlies chose to sit their stars, and give them rest in a game they were expected to win. The Wizards came out, played angry, and eventually got the 107-87 win. Randy Wittman is going to have to remind his team how the Grizzlies disrespected them but resting key players in belief that they would still be able to pull out a victory.
Over the past three games, John Wall is averaging 15 assists per game, and is doing a great job of getting everybody involved. Wall is doing of good job of finding the open man, and it is paying off for him on the stat sheets, and for the team on the scoreboard. The key for Wall’s teammates is going to be to continue to knockdown shots, which will lead to Wall looking out for them more.
Wall’s scoring load should be higher tonight than it has been over the past few games due to the matchup with Mike Conley. Conley is known as one of the best guard defenders in the league, so Wall is going to have to put more of a focus on getting to the rim, and hopefully drawing some contact. The physicality and speed Wall brings to the table when he drives the ball should give him a mismatch as long as he does settle stay outside and settle for jump shots.
Both Nene and Paul Pierce are expected to return tonight after missing last nights win over the Knicks, and for Pierce, also missing the win over Philly. Their fresh legs should help the Wizards in their battle against the third best team in the Western Conference. Nene needs to get rolling so he can perform in this season’s playoffs similar to how he did when the Wizards faced the Bulls last season, and Pierce needs to continue to prepare the rest of the team for playoff time. The whole reason Paul Pierce was signed by the Wizards was for playoffs, and that time seems to be right around the corner.
Most importantly, the Wizards are now only two games back of Toronto for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Holding the four seed rather than the five seed is extremely important, as it often helps teams advance past the first round of the playoffs. With only six games left, a win tonight is very important to keep hopes alive for the four seed in the playoffs.