Wizards vs. 76ers preview: Washington returns to action vs. Philadelphia

Game Info

When: Friday, February 24 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
TV: CSN Mid-Atlantic
Radio: 1500 AM and Wizards Radio App

Injury Report

Wizards: None. Bojan Bogdanovic will be available to play. Chris McCullough will be inactive.

76ers: Jerryd Bayless (Out, Wrist), Ben Simmons (Out, Foot), Joel Embiid (Out, Knee), Robert Covington (Possible, Head), Tiago Splitter (Out, Hamstring)

What to Watch for

How Will the Wizards Play Coming off the All-Star Break:

It has been eight days since the Wizards have played an NBA game, except John Wall’s appearance in the All-Star Game.It will be interesting to see everyone knocking off the rust on Friday. Scott Brooks was positive after the Wizards’ first practice back on Wednesday, so that is a positive.

Another positive is the Wizards start with a soft opponent. What better team to get back in the saddle against than the 76ers, who just traded Nerlens Noel and Ersan Ilyasova, and will be missing Joel Embiid.

Will the new additions get playing time?

Bogdanovic was spotted at Wizards practice on Thursday, and could be eligible to play on Friday if everyone involved in the trade completes their physicals in time. It’s unclear right now whether he or McCullough would factor into the Wizards’ rotation with so little practice time. But, if Washington can put the game away early, they would most likely get a chance to play during garbage time to get some reps in with their new teammates.

No Nerlens

On Thursday, the 76ers traded Nerlens Noel to the Dallas Mavericks for Andrew Bogut, Justin Anderson, and a conditional first round pick. With Embiid out, it will be interesting to see what big men Philadelphia trots out. Will Jahlil Okafor play 30+ minutes? Will Bogut play while he seeks a buyout? Either way, look for the Wiz big men to have a big game.

Most Likely Wizards Killer: Jahlil Okafor

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Okafor lived up to his draft billing in his first two games against the Wizards this season, averaging 22.5 points and shooting 67 percent from the field. With Embiid out and Noel gone, look for Okafor to have a big statistical night against the Wizards.