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If the Miami Heat feel they have a tough schedule coming up, then see who the Washington Wizards face after tonight.
- New Orleans Pelicans 3/9
- Miami Heat 3/10
- Minnesota Timberwolves 3/13
- Boston Celtics 3/14
- Indiana Pacers 3/17
- San Antonio Spurs 3/21
- Denver Nuggets 3/23
Some random thoughts when looking back at the previous two match-ups.
Heat versus Wizards
| PLAYER | AGE | MIN | PTS | FGM | FGA | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLAYER | AGE | MIN | PTS | FGM | FGA | +/- |
| Kelly Olynyk | 26 | 24 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 12 |
| Dion Waiters | 26 | 67 | 32 | 11 | 31 | 11 |
| Wayne Ellington | 30 | 29 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
| Goran Dragic | 31 | 72 | 27 | 12 | 28 | -2 |
| Hassan Whiteside | 28 | 65 | 36 | 14 | 20 | -2 |
| Justise Winslow | 21 | 40 | 17 | 6 | 14 | -6 |
| Tyler Johnson | 25 | 52 | 22 | 6 | 18 | -6 |
| Bam Adebayo | 20 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -7 |
| James Johnson | 31 | 58 | 25 | 8 | 19 | -10 |
| Josh Richardson | 24 | 69 | 7 | 3 | 17 | -23 |
Wizards versus Heat
| PLAYER | AGE | MIN | PTS | FGM | FGA | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLAYER | AGE | MIN | PTS | FGM | FGA | +/- |
| Bradley Beal | 24 | 79 | 52 | 15 | 41 | 14 |
| John Wall | 27 | 73 | 35 | 12 | 33 | 13 |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | 22 | 56 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 8 |
| Otto Porter Jr. | 24 | 72 | 24 | 9 | 18 | 8 |
| Jason Smith | 32 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Markieff Morris | 28 | 46 | 22 | 9 | 19 | 5 |
| Jodie Meeks | 30 | 30 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| Marcin Gortat | 34 | 54 | 13 | 5 | 15 | 2 |
| Mike Scott | 29 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | -8 |
| Tim Frazier | 27 | 25 | 5 | 2 | 6 | -9 |
| Ian Mahinmi | 31 | 26 | 4 | 1 | 3 | -10 |
Kelly Olynyk (26) did very well against the older centers, Ian Mahinmi (31) and Marcin Gortat (34).
Josh Richardson struggled as a forward against the Wizards frontcourt, and should see better results as a shooting guard.
Luke Babbitt and James Johnson give more height and strength up front against Washington, compared to the first two games.
The Wizards recent three loses were due to their weak bench, especially against the Toronto Raptors.
Washington’s rotation is top-heavy in talent with Bradley Beal, Otto Porter Jr., Markieff Morris and Gortat logging a lot of minutes every game.
Replacing John Wall with Tomas Satoransky changes the complexion of team since the last time they met, i.e. going from an All-Star backcourt to more of a slower-paced power, battle of the boards, approach.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is their only rotation player under 24 years old, with 5 players 30 years of age or older, so they rely on experience to outsmart younger players like Bam Adebayo.
Still the Wizards need to be taken very seriously due to the extraordinary talents of Beal and Porter Jr., mixed in with the veteran play of Gortat, Morris, et al.
After losing three in a row, and looking at their upcoming games, ESPN predictor gives the Wizards a 68% odds to win and Miami a 4 point handicap.
I can imagine Washington players and coaches saying this game is a must-win considering the teams they face down the road.
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