This has been quite a weird year for the Washington Wizards, who will visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, February 20th.
They traded John Wall, who had been rehabbing aggressively and working himself to the bone, to Houston for Russell Westbrook just a few weeks before the year began. And perhaps, they have come to regret that choice.
Westbrook has been having a nice season stat-wise, but the fact of the matter is that the team has four wins with him in the lineup and four without him in the lineup. When he is out, the ball moves more and sticks less. Westbrook has been an impactful player, without a doubt, but it does seem that he has not been a winning guy for a team that needed one badly.
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Meanwhile, Portland has been playing well without Jusuf Nurkic and CJ McCollum. Rodney Hood has missed some action too, but other guys have stepped up.
The player that has done the most besides Damian Lillard has been Gary Trent Jr. He shot the lights out during the bubble, and it has carried over upon the return to normal arenas.
It?s great to see. His dad spent nine years in the league as a center. He didn?t have the impact that his son does.
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Wizards Looking For Win
The recent improvements of the Wizards have got to be encouraging for a team that is just looking for some positives. The injury to power forward Thomas Bryant was a real bummer, given that he was playing incredible basketball this season, building off a strong 2019-20 year and bubble effort.
That is a position of weakness for the team, though Mo Wagner has stepped into the starting role nicely of late.
Bradley Beal has been a scoring machine, as the media continues to find scenarios to have him traded. All the while, Beal is adamant about not going anywhere and staying with the team that drafted him No. 3 back in 2013.
He?s under contract right now, and it?s truly refreshing to see a young star that is committed to his team, not forcing their hand.
A win here would be great for the Wizards in a battle of star guards.
Portland Looking for a Saturday Pick-Me-Up
It?s hard to grade Portland?s season, as it really hasn?t been at full strength. But the Trail Blazers have plenty of talent, and when everybody gets healthy, they will not be a team you want to face. They are currently at +5000 to win the NBA Championship at America?s Bookie.
As good as Lillard has been, he?s done this without his sidekick, McCollum. When they are together, they are one of the toughest duos in the league.
Two years ago, Portland was in the conference finals. The Blazers brought back Enes Kanter, who played a key role in their journey there.
They kept Rodney Hood around. And some of the younger guys are now better than they were at that point. Anything can happen when the playoffs get going.
Let?s see if they can get the W over the Wizards.
Portland Gets It Done
The Trail Blazers will be earning the win at Moda Center, knocking off the Wizards with a 40-point effort from Lillard.
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They traded John Wall, who had been rehabbing aggressively and working himself to the bone, to Houston for Russell Westbrook just a few weeks before the year began. And perhaps, they have come to regret that choice.
Westbrook has been having a nice season stat-wise, but the fact of the matter is that the team has four wins with him in the lineup and four without him in the lineup. When he is out, the ball moves more and sticks less. Westbrook has been an impactful player, without a doubt, but it does seem that he has not been a winning guy for a team that needed one badly.
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Meanwhile, Portland has been playing well without Jusuf Nurkic and CJ McCollum. Rodney Hood has missed some action too, but other guys have stepped up.
The player that has done the most besides Damian Lillard has been Gary Trent Jr. He shot the lights out during the bubble, and it has carried over upon the return to normal arenas.
It?s great to see. His dad spent nine years in the league as a center. He didn?t have the impact that his son does.
Sports Betting 101: How to Bet the NBA
Wizards Looking For Win
The recent improvements of the Wizards have got to be encouraging for a team that is just looking for some positives. The injury to power forward Thomas Bryant was a real bummer, given that he was playing incredible basketball this season, building off a strong 2019-20 year and bubble effort.
That is a position of weakness for the team, though Mo Wagner has stepped into the starting role nicely of late.
Bradley Beal has been a scoring machine, as the media continues to find scenarios to have him traded. All the while, Beal is adamant about not going anywhere and staying with the team that drafted him No. 3 back in 2013.
He?s under contract right now, and it?s truly refreshing to see a young star that is committed to his team, not forcing their hand.
A win here would be great for the Wizards in a battle of star guards.
Portland Looking for a Saturday Pick-Me-Up
It?s hard to grade Portland?s season, as it really hasn?t been at full strength. But the Trail Blazers have plenty of talent, and when everybody gets healthy, they will not be a team you want to face. They are currently at +5000 to win the NBA Championship at America?s Bookie.
As good as Lillard has been, he?s done this without his sidekick, McCollum. When they are together, they are one of the toughest duos in the league.
Two years ago, Portland was in the conference finals. The Blazers brought back Enes Kanter, who played a key role in their journey there.
They kept Rodney Hood around. And some of the younger guys are now better than they were at that point. Anything can happen when the playoffs get going.
Let?s see if they can get the W over the Wizards.
Portland Gets It Done
The Trail Blazers will be earning the win at Moda Center, knocking off the Wizards with a 40-point effort from Lillard.
See how we did on our Super Bowl LV free pick.
