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2012/2013 NBA Preseason | ||
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October 30, 2012 | ||
Quicken-Loans Arena | ||
7 p.m. | ||
CSN, 106.7 The Fan | ||
Starting Lineups | ||
A.J. Price | PG | Kyrie Irving |
Bradley Beal | SG | Dion Waiters |
Trevor Ariza | SF | Alonzo Gee |
Trevor Booker | PF | Tristan Thompson |
Emeka Okafor | C | Anderson Varejao |
2011/12 Advanced Stats | ||
92.5 (9th) | Pace | 91.3 (14th) |
101 (25th) | ORtg | 101.1 (24th) |
106.2 (21st) | DRtg | 108.9 (26th) |
Also see: Fear the Sword | SB Nation Cleveland| StoryStream |
And so, it begins. Injuries to John Wall and Nene have dampened the enthusiasm of many, but the first day of the Washington Wizards' season is always exciting. Better yet, the season opener is a somewhat winnable game, at least compared to some of the other games on the schedule. The Cavaliers are at home and have Kyrie Irving, but they were one of the league's worst teams last year and didn't get all that much better. A win is certainly possible.
For it to happen, though, several players have to play above their means. Bradley Beal has to have an excellent debut. A.J. Price, Trevor Booker and Martell Webster have to carry over their strong preseason play. Emeka Okafor has to be solid. Jan Vesely has to make an impact. Jordan Crawford has to hit some shots. Most importantly, the defense has to contain Irving as much as possible and force guys like Alonzo Gee to beat them.
Whatever happens, it starts tonight. Tonight is when we will see if the undermanned Wizards are really ready to play. The last two season openers ended with a blowout loss to the Magic and a shocking collapse at home to the lowly Nets. Those games proved to be harbingers for the seasons that followed. Here's hoping tonight offers a better result and a better omen for the year.
GO WIZARDS!
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