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1. John Wall wants Wizards to dominate at home
The Wizards' 22-19 home record last season wasn't good enough. Not if you want to be a top playoff team. Paul Pierce let it be known early on that he wanted the Wizards to be a much better home team this season. He wants teams to fear coming to the Verizon Center. Now, Wall has a specific number of wins in mind that he expects the team to reach by the end of the season.
"The main thing is to protect home court. That's something we didn't do last year, knowing how to win home games," Wall said of their 22-19 record last season, the worst among the 16 playoff teams. "We've got to win 30 games at home if you want to be a 50-win team."
2. Garrett Temple adjusting to increased attention
Temple has never been a threat offensively in his career. So far this season, though, he's done enough to warrant teams playing him tighter with the understanding that he can knock down shots consistently.
Temple is beginning to see that change, and he is focusing on adding some new things to his game to stay one step ahead of his opponents.
"You've got to work on our counters, your one-dribble pull-ups, your pump fakes, understanding that guys are going to be running out at you. Maybe even floaters," Temple said. "Getting other guys involved, but that's a good thing. That's going to make guys change up things. We want to open up the paint for John (Wall) so key on me that's more space for the bigs to work, more space for John to work."
3. Could trading Bradley Beal for Kobe Bryant be worth it?
It seemed like a pretty far-fetched idea, one that even Randy Wittman scoffed at when asked about it.
But there are those who are trying to see the bright side of how a Beal-less Wizards team could benefit from having one of the greatest players ever, in the waning stages of an illustrious career, wearing a Wizards jersey. Again. Yeah, it's crazy.
4. Rasual Butler talks to 106.7 The Fan
Butler was the last man to make the roster, but he has already been given minutes that would have probably gone to Glen Rice, Jr. were it not for his argument with Wittman during the blowout loss in Toronto last week. However those minutes came to him is not a worry, and Butler has shown very well during his time on the court. Yesterday, he spoke with 106.7 The Fan's The Sports Junkies on his time so far with the Wizards, going from the NBA to the D-League, what the Indiana Pacers were most worried about when they faced the Wizards in last season's playoffs and more.
5. Wizards basketball continues tonight
The Wizards (5-2) take on the Detroit Pistons (2-5) tonight at the Verizon Center in their first of a four-game home stand. The Pistons haven't gotten off to the best of starts this season, and much of those problems start with Andre Drummond, their key cog in the paint and rebounding/shot-blocking monster, who hasn't started the season how Pistons fans would have hoped. The Wizards will look to get win number three at home against a team that gave them fits last season, despite Detroit only winning 29 total games.
Tip off is at 7 p.m. and the game can be seen live on Comcast SportsNet and heard on 99.1 WNEW.
Bonus: Otto Porter still shining bright
We've covered him often, recently, ecstatic with his improvement from his rough rookie season. That praise starts with his coaches and teammates who see him every day and is trickling all the way down to us fans.