The Orlando Magic are hoping to grab consecutive wins for the first time this season as they take on the Washington Wizards on the road.
To learn more about the Magic‘s next opponent, we spoke with Washington Wizards On SI contributors Bryson Akins and Owen Jury.
Akins: Tre has looked fantastic. He’s clearly the best shooter from his class. To really get a realization of how good he is, he needs to start.
Jury: Tre Johnson has looked like everything he was hyped up to be. His red hot start to the season was of course unsustainable for a first year player, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t impacted each game. The gravity he brings as a shooter is enough to command the respect of defenses at all times, opening up opportunities for other primary creators. Along with that, the intensity and effort that he has brought defensively has been a pleasant surprise, allowing him to stay on the floor for longer periods of time.
Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson drives to the basket as Toronto Raptors center Olivier Sarr defends. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Akins: The return for the McCollum-Poole trade is that it creates cap space and spaces the floor better for the young wings. The team isn’t trying to necessarily win, but in the future it will be a win.
Jury: Early returns on the McCollum Poole swap hasn’t been great for Washington. McCollum has struggled to find his rhythm thus far and has struggles to assert himself within the rhythm of the offense.
Akins: Team is playing fast. They have been pushing the ball and trying to create fast breaks.
Jury: THE ALEX SARR JUMP IS REAL. He may have not had the best individual offensive performance versus the Thunder, but his game-to-game impact from this year to last year is night and day. Sarr has made it a point this year to work inside, burying smaller opponents and punishing poor rotations. Along with that, he has cut back on jump shots tenfold, putting far more pressure on defenses than last season.
Akins: Interior presence. Sarr has looked like a different player this season, and that’s a good thing. He is living inside the paint. The wings are also attacking, driving in when they can.
Jury: The Wizards beating the Magic is surprisingly enough, not that crazy of a statement. Washington has been in multiple games this season where they have had sizable leads down the stretch of games, but for whatever reason they find a way to blow it. They struggles typically lie within poor offensive execution and defense energy. If Washington was to win, they would either build a sizable lead throughout the first three quarters, likely from a hot shooting night. Or the Wizards star players would take over down the stretch and propel them to a victory.
Akins: Magic 117, Wizards 114
Jury: Wizards 123, Magic 111
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