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The Washington Wizards take on the Brooklyn Nets in their seventh game of the 2020-21 NBA season. Washington Wizards led by in-form Bradley Beal will be hoping to post their second straight victory in what has been an overtly poor start to the season.
On the other hand, Brooklyn Nets have also struggled for momentum and have lost as many as they have won in their first six NBA games of the season. They come into the match after playing the Atlanta Hawks in 2 consecutive games, winning one and losing the other one.
Both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are expected to start while Russel Westbrook should also return after sitting out of the Washington Wizards' victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Washington Wizards vs Brooklyn Nets Prediction: Combined Starting 5
The Brooklyn Nets come into the game with an almost full-strength roster while the Washington Wizards will be hoping Russel Westbrook can start after missing the victorious encounter over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Overall, with the Washington Wizards finally getting their act together in the last game, they will be hoping to give a strong Brooklyn Nets a serious run for their money come Sunday night.
Point Guard – Russel Westbrook (Washington Wizards)
Despite Washington Wizards’ overall struggles, Russel Westbrook has had a solid start to the season. He has averaged a triple double in the last two games that he featured in, and will be expected to lead his team against the Brooklyn Nets as well.
The Washington Wizards won their last game without their talismanic point guard, and Westbrook will want to register his first win of the season as well. Add to that the fact that he is going against a former teammate in Kevin Durant, this matchup appears to have all the ingredients to be a cracker.
Shooting Guard- Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets)
Another player who can walk into any team in the NBA is 6-time All-Star Kyrie Irving. The former Boston Celtic has started off the season brilliantly, leading the scoring for the Nets, after having missed the majority of his debut season with the franchise.
Kyrie has started the 2020-21 NBA season in solid form averaging over 26 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. He will be hoping to continue the good form in order to help the Brooklyn Nets get back to winning ways against a Washington Wizards side that is slowly finding its feet.
Small Forward – Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
Bradley Beal takes up the SF spot in the combined starting 5 featuring players from Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets. With the guard positions occupied by Westbrook and Irving, Bradley Beal has to be accommodated at the SF position simply because of the scoring form that he has been in since the 2019-20 NBA season.
This time around, Bradley Beal has Russel Westbrook to play with. The 27-year-old will be hoping that his new partnership with Russ can help drive Washington Wizards back into the playoffs, after missing out on the post-season last year. Beal is coming off his best scoring season with 30.5 points per game, and looks to have picked up from exactly where he left off.
Power Forward – Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)
Kevin Durant is one of the best players in NBA history, and has the ability to single handedly finish games off. He is an automatic pick at the Power Forward position in this combined 5, and is expected to put on a show each time he steps out on a basketball court.
Coming into the Washington Wizards game, Kevin Durant has looked close to his dominant best for consistent periods of time this season already. The Brooklyn Nets are expected to keep improving as their core gels together over the course of the season, and KD will be expected to be the difference maker at crucial moments.
Center- Thomas Bryant (Washington Wizards)
Another player who has shown constant improvement since coming to the Washington Wizards is Thomas Bryant. Bryant is now in his third NBA season, and his second for the Washington Wizards.
While there is quite a bit of scope for improvement in his overall numbers, his defensive game has been improving, along with his shooting numbers, which are consistently improving. This time around, Thomas Bryant will be looking to get his first taste of the playoffs and will be expected to chip in with crucial contributions throughout the NBA season.
