Wizards (23-17) vs Jazz (16-24)
When: Wednesday, January 10th at 7 p.m. Where: Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. TV: NBC Sports Washington / Radio: 1500 AM
Injury
Wizards: Sheldon Mac (Out, Achilles), Chris McCullough (G-League assignment )
Jazz: Rudy Gobert (Out, Knee) , Dante Exum (Out, shoulder) , Derrick Favors ( Game time decision, ankle), Raul Neto (Out, Knee)
Notes -
Washington has lost four straight games to the Jazz, failing to reach 100 points in all four of those contests. Since the beginning of the 2013-14 season, the Wizards have topped 100 points just three times against the Jazz, going 2-1 in those games.
Kelly Oubre has recorded 26 games this season with at least 10 points, nearly reaching his total games from his first two years in the league. The Wizards are 15-11 when Oubre scored at least 10 points.
Kelly Oubre Games with 10+ points
2015-17 30
2017-18 26
Wizards -
106.4 - points per game
104.0 - points against
46.1 - Field goal %
Jazz -
100.9 - points per game
101.7 - points against
44.9 - field goal %
Keep an eye on:
Donovan Mitchell and Rodney Hood: CONTAIN THEM!!! The rookie out of Louisville has taken the league by storm with his production and intensity on both ends of the floor. Mitchell is averaging 18.5 points, 3.4 assist, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game and has displayed a level of confidence that is beyond his years. Rodney Hood is also a threat the Wizards have to be accountable for. His versatility at 6'7, 6'8 along with his ability to shoot with range and attack off the bounce, enables him to be an issue for shooting guards and forwards, especially when teams go small. Hood is posting 16.8 points a game while shooting 39 percent from three and 84 percent from the line which means Washington will have to guard him by committee, specifically with the likes of Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre.
Defense without fouling/ Limit turnovers : Seems simple and its something I'm sure every team at every level preaches, however its especially true when it comes to the Jazz. Utah are second in the NBA in free throw shooting (80.8%) and third in steals (9.1), which means they attack defenses relentlessly and play the passing lanes well. Washington has struggled all season with late game free throw shooting and turnovers. If the game is close come late, the Jazz even with key players being expected to be out, are capable of stealing a win if the Wizards aren't as poised as they should be.
