Washington has a lot to handle with Orlando’s balanced roster.
The Washington Wizards return home from a West Coast road trip Wednesday night to host the Orlando Magic. Orlando has blossomed this year behind first-time All-Star Paolo Banchero and holds the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 35-26 record.
Washington, meanwhile, is in the midst of a free-fall. With a 15-game losing streak in tow, the Wizards have surpassed (is that the right word?) the Detroit Pistons and now hold a 9-52 record. Washington is on pace for a putrid 12 wins, which would be by far their lowest win total in franchise history.
Orlando fields an ultra-balanced roster that should give the Wizards hell on both ends of the floor. Do-it-all forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner bear the team’s scoring burden, while Markelle Fultz is a solid playmaking point guard and Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac are two of the most destructive defensive players in the league.
One overall bright spot for the Wizards in recent weeks has been Jordan Poole’s benching. This move has allowed Poole to thrive offensively against other teams’ backups, while also giving rookie Bilal Coulibaly more playing time against the league’s best players in a starting role.
Magic at Wizards tips off at 7 p.m. at Capital One Arena on Wednesday night.