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The 2020-21 NBA season is set to begin on the 22nd of December and before we get to experience the excitement of the opening night, we'll get to see the stars play in the preseason games. The first preseason game for the Brooklyn Nets and the Washington Wizards is scheduled on the 13th of December and the two Eastern Conference rivals will face off against each other at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Match Details
Fixture: Washington Wizards vs Brooklyn Nets - NBA Preseason Game
Date & Time: Sunday, December 13th, 2020 - 6 PM ET (Monday, December 14th, 4:30 AM IST)
Venue: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Two days of preseason action has already taken place. This time prior to start of a new season, given team an opportunity to get in rhythm and get their rookies some valuable game time. The Brooklyn Nets will have both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant healthy for the 1st time, since their move back in 2019, while the Washington Wizards will be introducing Russell Westbrook for the very first-time on a basketball court.
Brooklyn Nets Preview
The fortunes of the Brooklyn Nets franchise turned around when they signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the 2019 offseason. The team went from a bottom playoff seed to title favorites in the blink of an eye. Which is why going into the 2020-21 season, majority of sports pundits, fans and executives around the league expects the Brooklyn Nets to come out of the eastern conference.
The franchise also hired a new head coach, Hall of Famer point guard, Steve Nash and his playmaking expertise will definitely help Kyrie Irving improve his production from the point-guard position. The team looks incredibly good on paper but we are yet to see the entire healthy roster in action. The Brooklyn Nets reached the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference last season without Irving and Durant. Hence with both the two stars now healthy and fit, the Nets are expected to finish in at least the top 2 of the Eastern Conference.
Key Player - Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant hasn't played an NBA game since June 2019 when he injured his Achilles in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Going by his prolonged absence, the Brooklyn Nets superstar would be itching to get back on the floor and prove to the watching audience that he is still one of, if not the best player in the world. It will be interesting for the basketball fraternity to see how KD returns to the floor after such a serious injury.
An Achilles injury is one of the most devastating injuries in sports and not everyone comes back the same. It is highly unlikely that Kevin Durant will return 100% to his old self for the Brooklyn Nets straight away, which is why his health and performance will be something to keep an eye on not for the Brooklyn Nets but for the whole of NBA.
Brooklyn Nets Predicted Lineup
G Kyrie Irving, G Caris Levert, F Kevin Durant, F Joe Harris, C Jarrett Allen
Washington Wizards Preview
A lot of the eyes are going to be on the Washington Wizards this season. The recent acquisition of All-Star point guard and former league MVP, Russell Westbrook has put the Wizards on the cusp of a playoff spot. Their main player and top scorer was Bradley Beal who averaged a whopping 30 points per game last season but due to lack of All-Star help, couldn't quite lead his team to a playoff position.
Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. He has been averaging MVP caliber numbers since the past few seasons and despite averaging over 30 points per game last season, he was snubbed off of all three All-NBA teams. He was critical of his All-NBA and All-Star snub, calling it "disrespectful" and said that the selection process "doesn't make sense".
Apart from Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, the Washington Wizards don't feature any great scorers or All-Star level players. The burden of the team's victories will fall on the shoulders of the backcourt. The rest of the team will need to elevate their level of play and hopefully, Westbrook and Beal's playmaking ability will help push the roster to post-season success.
Key Player - Russell Westbrook
The 9-time All-Star and 2017 league MVP, Russell Westbrook is competing in the Eastern Conference for the first time. The blockbuster trade between the Houston Rockets and the Washington Wizards swapped John Wall for Russell Westbrook and everyone is now excited to see the backcourt of Beal and Westbrook flourish in the capital.
Russell Westbrook is known as the triple-double machine. He holds the record for the most triple-doubles in a season with 42 and is 2nd in All-time career triple-doubles behind Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson. He is speculated to be an upgrade over John Wall for the Washington Wizards, who hasn't played an NBA game since the past two seasons.
Washington Wizards Predicted Lineup
G Russell Westbrook, G Bradley Beal, F Deni Avdija, F Davis Bertans, C Thomas Bryant
Wizards vs Nets Match Prediction
This is the Washington Wizards' and Brooklyn Nets' first preseason game of the 2020-21 campaign and both the rosters will get an opportunity to show the league what improvements they have made in the offseason. Everyone's eyes are going to be on the Brooklyn Nets and how Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant look together. The Washington Wizards will also get an opportunity to show off their new backcourt featuring Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal.
The victory in this preseason fixture will be meaningless, however, what will be important for both the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets is to develop chemistry and rhythm before opening night. It will also be an interesting matchup because former teammates Westbrook and Durant will be going up against each other.
Where to watch Wizards vs Nets?
National coverage and local television coverage for Washington Wizards vs Brooklyn Nets will be available on NBC Sports Washington and YES Network. International fans can catch the game on the NBA League Pass.
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