The Portland Trail Blazers are getting ready to face off against the Washington Wizards on the second night of a back-to-back. Portland lost their last game against the Boston Celtics last night, making it two straight losses while Deni Avdija has been sidelined with injury.
On the other side, the Wizards are losers of nine straight and currently hold the NBA’s worst record past the midway point of the season.
What you need to Know
Portland Trail Blazers (23-24) at Washington Wizards (10-34) – Tues. Jan. 27th – 4:00pm Pacific
How to watch via antenna or cable: See your options on the Rip City Television Network
How to stream: BlazerVision in Oregon and Washington; League Pass everywhere else
How to listen: Rip City Radio 620AM
Trail Blazers Injuries: Scoot Henderson, Damian Lillard, Matisse Thybulle, Blake Wesley, Duop Reath, Kris Murray (Out); Deni Avdija (Questionable).
Wizards Injuries: Trae Young, Marvin Bagley III, Cam Whitmore, Bilal Coulibaly, Tristan Vukcevic (Out); Kris Middleton (Questionable).
What To Watch For
Deni’s return? Without Avdija the Blazers have lost two straight contests and failed to eclipse 100 points in either game. If he returns it automatically gives the offense a major boost and helps return Portland to their normal levels of scoring. However, if he misses another game it could lead to a very disappointing loss to the NBA’s worst team if the Blazers are unable to find their offensive rhythm yet again.
2024 Big Man Battle. The Wizards are led by Alex Sarr, the no. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft class. The big man has been averaging 17.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game this season as the starting center for Washington. However, Portland has a 2024 center of their own in the matchup. Donovan Clingan, picked seventh in 2024, is averaging 11.2 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game this season while anchoring the Blazers’s defense. Both are slated to have a significant impact in the game on the boards and defensive side of the ball. If Clingan is able to mitigate Sarr’s impact on offense, it will be a significant increase for Portland’s chances to win. However, if Clingan is taken out of the game by Sarr, it puts a lot more of a workload on the Blazers’s other players to make up for the difference.
What Others Are Saying
Owen Jury of Washington Wizards on SI talks about Washington’s future and if they’ll be able to eventually develop into contenders with what they have now on the roster.
For one, Washington already has a solid base. Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson have already proven themselves to be one of the better young trios in the league, and when coupled with other young Wizards like Bub Carrington, Will Riley, Jamir Watkins and Bilal Coulibaly, a bright picture for the future begins to form.
However, Washington still clearly lacks their number-one guy. As good as their young talent is, none of them have really shown the ability to head a franchise as a lead creator, especially not at a championship level. It’s always a possibility that one of them could develop into said talent, but it seems far more likely that the Wizards will have to go out and acquire that talent rather than just developing it in-house.
