The Washington Wizards will take their show on the road tonight against the Chicago Bulls. Coming into this game, the odds are against the Wizards as they have a 23% chance to win tonight. Those chances are slim to none and rightfully so as the Wizards continue to struggle this season. They are already out of contention of making the NBA Playoffs. With that being the case, they may very well have their minds on acquiring the number one overall pick in the 2025 NBA Lottery/Draft.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference as they hope to still make the NBA Play-In Tournament. They appear to be a sure bet to do so. However, every game is critical to them and it is important that they win the games they are expected to win such as tonight.
At this time, DeMar DeRozan has already activated his playoff mode as he continues to bail his team out and keep their playoff hopes alive.
The game-plan for the Wizards tonight is simple: “Stop DeMar DeRozan.” This is no easy task for anyone in the NBA. DeRozan has shown over the years that he is one of the most clutch players in the league. The Wizards won’t be able to lean upon a single player alone to handle the assignment of defending the future Hall of Famer. They must do so collectively as a team, especially with the amount of injuries they are currently dealing with.
It is good to throw something at your opponent that they don’t see often to catch them off guard. We know DeRozan is lethal at getting to his spots inside the arc and getting to the free throw line. He does a lot of his work at the mid range area of the floor. The Wizards will do well to force him to stay on the perimeter and taking long distance shots. They must not allow him to get to his spots on the mid range area and they really must protect him from attacking the basket. A zone defense will be a nice strategy at defending DeMar DeRozan. If the Wizards can contain DeRozan, they will have a slight chance at winning their 12th game of the season tonight.
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