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The Washington Wizards wrapped up their trip to the West Coast and are back in the nation's capital to take on Canada's Finest: The Toronto Raptors.
Where and when: Tonight's game starts at 7 PM at the Verizon Center. You can catch the game tonight on CSN Washington or join the radio party on 99.1 WNEW.
Who's hurt? John Wall is questionable for tonight's game as he deals with several lingering issues. He didn't participate in practice on Friday or shootaround this morning.
John Wall isn’t participating in shootaround. Garrett Temple is running with the first team.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgeccastillo) January 31, 2015
Nene is also questionable after missing Wednesday's game with foot issues.
Are the Raptors good? Absolutely. They went through a bit of a rough patch without DeMar DeRozan, but they're 7-3 since he returned on January 14th. Though it's worth noting their wins came over the Nets, Kings, Pacers, Pistons, Bucks and 76ers twice.
Why have the Wizards struggled against the Raptors? Despite what Randy Wittman may tell you, the Wizards have some big issues against Toronto. They're 1-4 against them since the start of the 2013-14 season, with their sole victory coming on the back of a monstrous performance from John Wall in a triple overtime win in Toronto.
In all five games, the Wizards have struggled to slow down the Raptors' offense. In each of the last five meetings, Toronto's offensive rating has been over 105, whereas the Wizards have only gotten over 105 once.
If the Wizards want to get past Toronto, they'll need to rely on Mr. Action Figure, Marcin Gortat, who has been the only Wizards to enjoy lots of success against Toronto. He's averaged 14.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game against the Raptors, and could really use a strong game to get out of his recent slump.
They could also use a strong game from Beal, especially if John Wall is out or not quite himself. In his last four games against Toronto, he's 19-of-63 from the field, and 4-of-20 from beyond the arc. The Raptors' length has brought out the worst from Beal, tricking him into lots of shots he shouldn't take. If they stand a shot tonight, they'll need Beal to get to the rim more effectively and take outside shots when he has more space than he's used to needing.
Who's going to win? Never count out the team giving away Marcin Gortat action figures.