SB Nation NBA Reacts Week 10 Part 1: Wizards fans want Deni Avdija to start, want more government action against the coronavirus

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Wizards fan confidence moves up to 46 percent

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Fan confidence moved up to 46 percent this week from 41 percent last week. There were 129 responses, down from the past two weeks and likely because this is Christmas week. A win against the Utah Jazz last weekend stopped the bleeding and Washington is now 16-15 this season. Here are some of the responses why:

• No joke, but ten people wrote down “Deni Avdija” as their response and nothing more.
• I’ll get back to the more thoughtful responses. Here’s the first. “I think they’re going to be able to figure it out. They started the season off strong, then the league caught up to them. Now, it’s time for them to adjust. The latest road win looks promising, although my confidence has not waned, even during the losing streak.”
• “There were mistakes along the way including not extending Matthews but I can see bright spots: Avdija, Gafford, “easier” contracts than Westbrook’s, WUJ is playing a ‘nice to see’ basketball but still need to improve in-game reactions.”
• “Other teams lose too. I don’t see any good basketball from most teams in the east, so there’s still a chance to compete well into March. I think the Wizards deserve more credit from their fanbase for more than one reason that I can think of. I really don't like seeing the comment section go wild over nothing, but whatever.”

Most people are still not confident in the team and aren’t sold after one win against the Jazz. Here’s what they are saying.

• If ten people mentioned Avdija as why they are confident, six people mentioned Spencer Dinwiddie and his recent inconsistent play as why they are not.
• “Court leadership’s lacking from Beal, defensive effort lacking from Beal, risk of a max deal tied to Beal. Apparently, even the teammates are not that fond of him either when he is hogging the ball.”
• “Currently when the Wiz break their team huddles, they chant “Family”. When the Wiz break their huddles and chant “Championship”, then I could feel confident the Wiz are headed in the right direction. Also, at some point “Headed in the right direction” needs to be clarified. If a .500 record or above, making the Play-in Tournament, or a first/second-round playoff exit is considered headed in the right direction, the answer is Yes. If a Conference Championship or NBA Championship appearance is how we define “headed in the right direction,” the answer is No.”

Wizards fans want Deni Avdija to start!

SB Nation

The Wizards’ defense as a team has slipped lately. Yet, Avdija has remained their best perimeter defender and he has come into his own offensively, averaging nearly 10 points per game in his last five appearances. Obviously, Avdija is no Bradley Beal. But he is offering the one thing Wes Unseld, Jr. really wants: defense! That’s why 73 percent want him there!

Most Wizards fans want the D.C. government to mandate capacity limits at Wizards games to limit the spread of the coronavirus

SB Nation

Whether you like it or not, the coronavirus is like Lamb Chop’s song that never ends. We may not like it, but we start talking about it incessantly.

The virus itself is just like that song. It just never ends. Even with masks and vaccinations, a new variant comes and gets us back to square one!!!

Alright, omicron is here and it’s the talk of D.C. The NBA remains reluctant to do anything on its own, where they would rather have governments make the call. Based on our survey, 63 percent of respondents want the D.C. government to limit attendance at Wizards games for a month. Currently, only the Toronto Raptors have an attendance limit due to regulations set by the Ontario provincial government in Canada.

We will share our national survey results tomorrow.

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