Few expect the Washington Wizards to compete with the NBA’s best in the win column this season, though the schedule-makers did the franchise some favors.
There are 28 instances during the 2023-24 NBA season where the Wizards likely have a schedule advantage and a few other matchups that just missed the list.
#NBA Southeastern Division
Win Totals (O/U) 🏀📍 Miami Heat: 46.5
📍 Atlanta Hawks: 42.5
📍 Orlando Magic: 36.5
📍 Charlotte Hornets: 31.5
📍 Washington Wizards: 24.5(via @DraftKings) pic.twitter.com/nVVvmAB9Km
— Chris W. Crouse (@ChrisWCrouse) October 4, 2023
Admittedly, there is some subjectivity in the following analysis. Still, the Wizards’ schedule is filled with teams arriving in Washington as part of a lengthy road trip, playing the Wizards as part of a back-to-back, facing the team during its third game in a four-day stretch, or competing against the club on a rest deficit.
The Wizards’ Schedule May Assist With Some Wins
The Wizards host the Grizzlies at a good time.
10/28 vs. Grizzlies: Memphis plays in Washington on the second night of a back-to-back after hosting Nikola Jokic and the world-champion Nuggets the night before. The Wizards matchup is the third game in four nights for the Grizzlies while Washington enters it with three games rest. (Not to mention, Memphis will be without Ja Morant).
There’s a favorable three-game homestead in November.
11/15 vs. Mavericks: The Wednesday night matchup is the second game of a back-to-back for Dallas after a pair of road games in New Orleans.
11/17 vs. Knicks: The Friday night matchup in Washington is the third game of the five-game road trip. It’s also the first night of a back-to-back for New York, sandwiched between road games in Boston and Atlanta before heading to Charlotte and Minnesota.
11/20 vs. Bucks: Milwaukee is on a two-game road trip that begins in Washington and ends two nights later with their first matchup in Boston since trading away Jrue Holiday.
December and January present more opponents on back-to-backs and lengthy road trips.
12/27 vs. Raptors: Pascal Siakam‘s team arrives in Washington for the first game of a three-game road trip (headed to Boston and Detroit) after a four-day layoff.
12/29 vs. Nets: Brooklyn comes to Washington in the first game of a four-game road trip and the third game in four nights, following a road/home back-to-back (the second of which being a marquee matchup against the Bucks).
1/6 vs. Knicks: New York comes to Washington on the second night of a back-to-back (Philadelphia). Washington is also on the second night of a back-to-back, however, traveling back from a two-game, three-day trip in Cleveland).
1/8 vs. Thunder: OKC’s trip to Washington is the third leg of a four-game road trip (Atlanta-Brooklyn-Washington-Miami).
1/13 vs. Hawks: Trae Young & Co. host Washington on the second night of a back-to-back after hosting Indiana the night prior. The Wizards come into the matchup on three days rest.
1/18 at Knicks: Washington, on three days rest, gets New York on the second night of a back-to-back (home vs. Rockets), which is New York’s third game in four days.
1/20 vs. Spurs: San Antonio is coming off the second night of a back-to-back on the fourth game of their five-game east coast road trip (Atlanta-Boston-Charlotte-Washington-Philadelphia).
1/21 vs. Nuggets: Washington gets Denver after playing San Antonio the night before, though the defending champs are on the third game of a five-game road trip (Boston-Philadelphia-Washington-Indiana-New York).
1/24 vs Timberwolves: Washington is the first game of a four-game road trip for Minnesota (Washington-Brooklyn-San Antonio-Oklahoma City) and the first night of a back-to-back for both franchises.
1/25 vs. Jazz: Utah gets the Wizards on the third game of their six-game road trip (Houston-New Orleans-Washington-Charlotte-Brooklyn-New York).
1/31 vs. Clippers: Los Angeles arrives in Washington on the last leg of a four-game road trip (Toronto-Boston-Cleveland-Washington).
February brings at least five upset opportunities for the Wizards wrapped around the All-Star break.
2/4 vs. Suns: Bradley Beal‘s return to Washington comes on a Sunday afternoon at the end of the Suns’ 12-day, seven-game road trip (Dallas-Indiana-Orlando-Miami-Brooklyn-Atlanta-Washington).
2/7 vs. Cavaliers: Cleveland gets the Wizards coming off of three days rest in the first leg of their road back-to-back as part of their three-game road trip (Washington-Brooklyn-Toronto).
2/10 vs. Sixers: Joel Embiid‘s team comes to Washington to play on Saturday night after hosting the Hawks in Philadelphia the night before as part of a two-game road trip (Washington-Cleveland).
2/27 vs. Warriors: Jordan Poole‘s former team begins its four-game road trip in the nation’s capital (Washington-New York-Toronto-Boston).
2/29 at Lakers: On the first game of a week-long West Coast road trip where Washington only plays three games, Kyle Kuzma faces his former team with Los Angeles coming into the matchup on the second night of a back-to-back (at Clippers; “away” matchup).
An interesting matchup in Utah.
3/4 at Jazz: Utah hosts Washington on a Monday night following a weekend trip to Miami (3/2) as Washington is concluding its three-game West Coast road trip, arriving in Utah on three days of rest.
The end of the season presents seven opponents playing Wizards as part of a back-to-back.
3/6 vs. Magic: Orlando plays in Washington on the second night of a road back-to-back (Charlotte-Washington) and its third game in four days.
3/21 vs. Kings: Domantas Sabonis & Co. play the Wizards on the second night of a back-to-back after playing Toronto the night prior. The game is in the middle of a three-game road trip for Sacramento (Toronto-Washington-Orlando).
3/23 vs. Raptors: It’s the second night of a back-to-back for Pascal Siakam’s team (and the third game in four days) with Toronto hosting Oklahoma City on 3/22.
4/2 vs. Bucks: On this Tuesday night, Milwaukee plays in Washington in the last game of a three-game road trip
(New Orleans-Atlanta-Washington) and the first night of a back-to-back (vs. Memphis).
4/3 vs. Lakers: The Wizards host LeBron James & Co. on the second night of a home back-to-back, though Los Angeles is on the second night of a road back-to-back (Toronto) and to conclude their nine-day, six-game road trip (Milwaukee-Memphis-Indiana-Brooklyn-Toronto-Washington).
4/9 vs. Timberwolves: Minnesota’s home game vs. Washington is sandwiched between a two-game West Coast trip (at Suns/Lakers) and a trip to Denver, which will be the second night of this back-to-back.
4/12 vs. Bulls: Chicago plays in Washington after playing in Detroit the night before. The Wizards come into the matchup on three days rest.
Other notables not included:
- 12/26 vs. Magic: The Wizards’ home game is one day after both teams have off for Christmas.
- 2/23 at Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder host Washington on the second night of a home back-to-back (Clippers) while Washington comes to town on the second night of a road back-to-back (at Denver before OKC).
