Preview: Wizards head back to Jurassic Park to face the Raptors

Let's get something straight, Wizards, this is not a mid-week excursion north of the border, this is a serious investigation of the stability of the Wizards heading into the All Star break. Your fans, whom we represent, are deeply concerned. And 24 hours from now, if we're not convinced, they're not convinced.

Where and when: Tip off is at 7:30 p.m. at the Air Canada Centre. If you can't make it to the game, you can watch on CSN Washington, or join the #radioparty on 99.1 WNEW.

Who's out? Bradley Beal is out tonight after a T-Rex chomped off his inflamed right toe while he sat on the toilet. Kris Humphries is still holding on to his butt after this fall on Monday night. He is doubtful tonight, according to Jorge Castillo.

Are they good? Yes. Granted, they're successful in the East, so you might think they look like turkeys, but imagine yourself on the floor against this team. You get your first look at Kyle Lowry, this "six foot turkey" as you enter a clearing. He moves like a bird, lightly, bobbing his head. And you keep still because you think that maybe his visual acuity is based on movement like T-Rex - he'll lose you if you don't move. But no, not the Raptors. You stare at him, and he just stares right back. And that's when the attack comes. Not from the front, but from the side, from DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Ross, who you didn't even know were there. Because the Raptors are pack hunters, you see, they use coordinated attack patterns and they're out in force today.

And they'll slash at you Greivis Vasquez and Lou Williams off the bench. They won't bother to bite your jugular like the Hawks, say... no no. They'll slash at you here, or here...Or maybe across the belly, spilling your intestines. The point is, you are alive when they start to eat you. So you know, try to show a little respect.

Keys to beating the Raptors: Everyone is familiar with this team already, so we're not going to waste too much time on how good they are, but here are some keys to stopping them.

• Avoid the electric fence: Don't let Amir Johnson fool you. He might not seem like he can do a lot of damage, but if you get too close while driving to the basket, he'll zap you.
• Fight dinosaurs with fossils: Paul Pierce had a great game against the Raptors last month, but he was the only member of the veteran crew to perform well. They could really use some stronger performances from Andre Miller and Rasual Butler to keep things from getting out of hand in the second quarter like they did last time.
• More John Wall please: Especially with Bradley Beal out, the Wizards will need to Wall to put on a performance like we saw when the Wizards played in Toronto last season.