The last time the Wizards faced the Milwaukee Bucks was an evening to forget for the franchise. The Wizards were outrebounded, shot poorly and demonstrated a lack of energy right out of the gate. For a game that penciled in as a possible destination to break the road losing streak the Wizards failed to play with any sense of purpose and ended up losing the game by a final score of 100-87. Perhaps the most concerning aspect of the game was the performance of John Wall who allowed Keyon Dooling and Earl Boykins to shoot an efficient 14-21 from the field. Even though Mike was loath to admit it prior to that game it was the performance of these little regarded reserves that proved the difference in the game.
Tonight Wall faces a different challenge in Brandon Jennings, which was quite the entertaining matchup to watch during training camp. The return of Jennings to the Bucks lineup makes the team more dangerous though it remains one of the least prolific offenses in the league. However, that's not where the Bucks beat you. They beat you by grinding away on the defensive end and breaking up the flow of the game through physical play. Expect a lot of FT attempts tonight by both teams, with the team converting the most chances being the likely winner.
The Wizards will only dress 10 players tonight with both Al Thornton and Yi Jianlian unavailable. For those of you excited about watching the kids and the fringe players; well you should be getting more Seraphin/Booker/Martin than you could possibly stand.
GO WIZARDS!!!