Wizards vs. Knicks preview: The Wizards look to kick the wounded Knicks while down

Christmas day was a fun day for everyone who is not a New York Knicks fan. John Wall pulled off a 24 point 11 assist double double in the holiday showcase while showing the world his elite athletic ability with this insane 360 spin layup.

That, along with a Quincy Acy fight no one on the Knicks wanted to get involved with, pretty much defined the New York Knicks' season. With a 5-32 record, they have been helpless, hopeless and frustrated. They are now at the point where Derek Fisher considering shutting down Carmelo Anthony is actually a real thing. If the Knicks had a solid record, that would not even be a discussion.

None of that should change tonight as the Wizards face the Knicks for the third time this season.The Wizards are clearly the better team, not only on paper but in real life. There is no reason they should drop this game to the Knicks, and if they do then just throw all the blame on me for writing that last sentence.

When and where: The will start at 7 p.m. and will be at the Verizon Center. You can watch the game via CSN Washington.

Who's playing?: Both Amare Stoudamire and Anthony will not play tonight because of knee troubles. Andrea Bargnani will also be out because of a calf injury. The Wizards have everyone available.

Are the Knicks good?: No.

What should we look for?: We need to pay attention to how the Wizards start out against this Knicks team. Even though they are horrible and not very good at many things, they are still a professional basketball team. In previous years, this would be a game that the Wizards would overlook and end up losing in a poor fashion.

This Wizards team is better and focus on each individual game has been at a premium this year, but they have to make sure to keep that trend going. They cannot afford to overlook this team after losing three of their last five games. They need every win they can get as they try to keep pace with the scorching hot Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks at the top of the East.

Any special performances tonight?: We should keep a particular eye on John Wall. Wall had a pretty good game in the Garden on Christmas day and has traditionally performed well against the Knicks. Wall has been in a shooting slump throughout the road trip and has struggled to get any good looks at the basket.

He's been notably better at home this season than he has been on the road and he's also been better against Eastern conference competition. Wall is averaging 19.4 points per game and 10 assists per game against Eastern Conference competition. Out West in just 13 games, Wall is averaging 13.6 points per game and 10.8 assists. Hopefully, we see similar numbers tonight against the weakest team in the league.

Will the Wizards win?: They definitely should and you should expect them to. The Knicks are the worst team in the league and the Wizards are one of the best. As long as they do not expect the Knicks to lay down and hand them a victory, they should be fine. Let's hope they come out and attack whatever openings they see.