Wizards vs. Pacers preview: Washington begins Vegas Summer League play on Saturday

The Washington Wizards begin NBA Summer League play on Saturday. First off, the Indiana Pacers!

Game Info

When: Saturday, July 8 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV

How to Watch: ESPN2

What to look for

It has been over two months since the Wizards played a game. And let’s say the last two months were definitely eventful. Tommy Sheppard was fired as the General Manager, with Michael Winger taking over as Monumental Basketball President and Will Dawkins taking Sheppard’s place as the new Wizards GM. Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis have been traded. And the Wizards effectively selected French prospect Bilal Coulibaly as their first-round draft pick (No. 7 overall) after a trade with the Pacers involving the No. 8 pick which they originally had.

We’ll get to Indy later.

The Wizards’ roster will feature Coulibaly and fellow rookie Tristan Vukcevic, their second round pick. Like most of the Wizards’ past Summer League teams, Coulibaly and Vukcevic will likely be showcased. In addition, Johnny Davis, the Wizards’ first round pick from last year, will also be on the team. After a mostly-down rookie season, Davis will also be expected to show his development over the past year over the next week. In addition to Davis, other players on last season’s Wizards team like Xavier Cooks and Quenton Jackson will also be on the roster.

The Pacers’ Summer League roster will feature Jarace Walker, the player Washington technically drafted at No. 8 before trading him for Coulibaly. The Pacers’ other first round pick, Ben Sheppard and their second round picks, Mojave King and Isaiah Wong, will also be on the roster. Four Pacers players from last year’s team: Kendall Brown, Isaiah Jackson, Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard, will also be on the Summer League team. That should make the Pacers one of the stronger squads in Vegas.

It’s hard to say how far any Summer League team can go because every team has different goals for the showcase, and may not simply be looking to win the championship. How far do you think the Wizards could go in Summer League? Let us know in the comments below.