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  6. article_body => "<p>The Wizards continue their schedule in Orlando with a battle against Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Washington. Here are three questions for the Wizards as they play their third-to-final game of the season...<\/p>\n<p><strong>Can they get a win?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Wizards do not have a chance to make the playoffs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/wizards\/5-takeaways-wizards-pelicans-including-rui-hachimuras-breakout\" target=\"_blank\">anymore after losing on Friday night to the Pelicans.<\/a> It was a disappointing result for the team, although one most of us expected. With no Bradley Beal or Davis Bertans, their odds were long in the first place, and the grading scale has been more about player development, anyways.<\/p>\n<p>But now there is a distinct possibility they leave the bubble without a single win. They went 0-3 in the exhibition schedule and have now lost their first five seeding games. They have three opponents left and they are all teams with top-10 records in the NBA: the Thunder, Celtics and Bucks. A win against any of those teams would qualify as an upset, though&nbsp;they have already beaten two of them this season; the Thunder and Celtics.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/wizards\/2020-nba-draft-lottery-wizards-have-9th-best-odds-no-1-pick\"><strong>RELATED: WIZARDS LOTTERY ODDS NOW OFFICIAL<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Can Brown be a point guard?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Most of the Wizards' roster questions in Orlando as they pertain to next year fall into gray areas, but one involving Troy Brown Jr. is very specific. Whether he can serve as a back-up point guard in the Wizards' rotation is worth wondering about, as his passing and play-making abilities have been so impressive in the bubble that it seems imperative the Wizards incorporate that part of his game more moving forward. But whether they can maximize those qualities when he's sharing the floor with Beal and John Wall is hard to decipher, as both of them are high-usage players and will need the offense run through them.<\/p>\n<p>Whether Brown can play some point guard behind Wall could determine some of the Wizards' offseason needs and it could have a direct effect on Ish Smith's role, as he currently projects as Wall's back-up. There are, however, two factors to consider in this. One is that the Wizards will need three capable point guards next season anyways with Wall coming back from an Achilles surgery. He is likely to be on a minutes limit to start and it seems certain he won't be playing back-to-backs, at least in the beginning. The other element here is the upcoming NBA draft class. It is loaded at point guard and combo guard. The odds of the Wizards being on the clock with the best player(s) available being point guards seem high. If their first round pick is a point guard, it would throw a wrench into all of these potential plans.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/wizards-tipoff\" target=\"_blank\">CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE WIZARDS TALK PODCAST<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/wizards-tipoff\/episodes\/39436d79-5624-4962-ac82-8f240e7176f9\/embed?theme=light-custom\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<p><strong>Is anyone playing their way off the roster?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Wizards are embracing their inclusion in the NBA's restart because of the opportunity it has provided for player development. They are getting guys experience they would otherwise not receive and it has allowed them to experiment with players in new roles. Brown closing the game against Indiana as a point guard is a good example of something that would otherwise not happen if this regular season was normal.<\/p>\n<p>But they are also evaluating who to keep and who not to and it's fair to wonder how much the production, or lack thereof, from their players will determine those decisions. Ultimately, it is an eight-game snapshot when these guys have the rest of their 2019-20 seasons to present as data. If the Wizards do put major importance on how players are faring in Orlando, then that is not a good sign for guys like Moe Wagner and&nbsp;Admiral Schofield. The good news for anyone who is struggling is that they will have another three-plus months to train for next year once the offseason arrives next week.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Stay connected to the&nbsp;Wizards with the MyTeams app.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb65a2b6cedb?site_id=Dig_RSN_Wash&amp;creative_id=nbcswash1200&amp;cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&amp;cp_1=washington&amp;cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&amp;cp_3=nbcswash1200\" target=\"_blank\">Click here<\/a>&nbsp;to download for comprehensive coverage of your teams.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>MORE WIZARDS NEWS:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Takeaways:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/wizards\/5-takeaways-wizards-pelicans-including-rui-hachimuras-breakout\">Wiz lose again<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Jerome Robinson:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/wizards\/he-prepares-back-bradley-beal-jerome-robinson-improving-key-area\">Improving in key area<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Eliminated:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/wizards\/eliminated-playoffs-wizards-hope-make-gains-other-ways\">Wiz out, but still have reason to play<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n"
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Wizards

Wizards

The Wizards continue their schedule in Orlando with a battle against Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Washington. Here are three questions for the Wizards as they play their third-to-final game of the season...

Can they get a win?

The Wizards do not have a chance to make the playoffs anymore after losing on Friday night to the Pelicans. It was a disappointing result for the team, although one most of us expected. With no Bradley Beal or Davis Bertans, their odds were long in the first place, and the grading scale has been more about player development, anyways.

But now there is a distinct possibility they leave the bubble without a single win. They went 0-3 in the exhibition schedule and have now lost their first five seeding games. They have three opponents left and they are all teams with top-10 records in the NBA: the Thunder, Celtics and Bucks. A win against any of those teams would qualify as an upset, though they have already beaten two of them this season; the Thunder and Celtics.

RELATED: WIZARDS LOTTERY ODDS NOW OFFICIAL

Can Brown be a point guard?

Most of the Wizards' roster questions in Orlando as they pertain to next year fall into gray areas, but one involving Troy Brown Jr. is very specific. Whether he can serve as a back-up point guard in the Wizards' rotation is worth wondering about, as his passing and play-making abilities have been so impressive in the bubble that it seems imperative the Wizards incorporate that part of his game more moving forward. But whether they can maximize those qualities when he's sharing the floor with Beal and John Wall is hard to decipher, as both of them are high-usage players and will need the offense run through them.

 

Whether Brown can play some point guard behind Wall could determine some of the Wizards' offseason needs and it could have a direct effect on Ish Smith's role, as he currently projects as Wall's back-up. There are, however, two factors to consider in this. One is that the Wizards will need three capable point guards next season anyways with Wall coming back from an Achilles surgery. He is likely to be on a minutes limit to start and it seems certain he won't be playing back-to-backs, at least in the beginning. The other element here is the upcoming NBA draft class. It is loaded at point guard and combo guard. The odds of the Wizards being on the clock with the best player(s) available being point guards seem high. If their first round pick is a point guard, it would throw a wrench into all of these potential plans.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE WIZARDS TALK PODCAST

Is anyone playing their way off the roster?

The Wizards are embracing their inclusion in the NBA's restart because of the opportunity it has provided for player development. They are getting guys experience they would otherwise not receive and it has allowed them to experiment with players in new roles. Brown closing the game against Indiana as a point guard is a good example of something that would otherwise not happen if this regular season was normal.

But they are also evaluating who to keep and who not to and it's fair to wonder how much the production, or lack thereof, from their players will determine those decisions. Ultimately, it is an eight-game snapshot when these guys have the rest of their 2019-20 seasons to present as data. If the Wizards do put major importance on how players are faring in Orlando, then that is not a good sign for guys like Moe Wagner and Admiral Schofield. The good news for anyone who is struggling is that they will have another three-plus months to train for next year once the offseason arrives next week.

Stay connected to the Wizards with the MyTeams app. Click here to download for comprehensive coverage of your teams.

 

MORE WIZARDS NEWS: