Oct 24, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) celebrates with Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (7) during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Three Keys to Wizards' Victory vs. Hornets

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Owen Jury | Last updated Oct 26, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Washington Wizards are back in DC for their home opener following an emphatic win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. Washington is slated to take on the Charlotte Hornets, who may not be the most talented roster, but to this point, they have proven to be a formidable opponent. Charlotte has started the season 1-1t and have looked like one of the more underrated teams in the eastern conference.

Push the Pace

The Hornets are on the tail end of a back to back, traveling from Philadelphia to DC the night before the game. As a result, the Hornets may come out flat putting Washington in a great position to get out to an early lead. Washington has had a tendency to come out slow, trailing big at the end of the first quarter in each of their first two games. With that said, Washington is more than capable of pushing the pace. Everyone in their starting-five is capable of leading the break, allowing them to grab rebounds and get down the floor. Washington's bench depth should allow them to sustain that pace throughout the course of the game as well — slowly wearing down a likely tired Hornets squad.

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Don’t Let LaMelo Ball Get Hot

Lamelo Ball is the head of the snake in Charlotte. When he is playing well and making shots, he has a tendency to enter a flow state. Once Ball is in that mode, he is both lethal as a scorer and a playmaker. His teammates have a tendency to ride his coat tails, building off of the momentum he creates. Once Ball gets going, Bridges, Kalkbrenner and others will likely follow suit, leading to a detrimental chain reaction that is tough to escape. It's difficult to predict how Washington will handle Ball, as they haven't seen a guard of his caliber thus far this season. However, Washington has yet to have a guard do much damage to them, adding hope that they will be able to do the same versus Charlotte.

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Maintain Offensive Success

The Wizards have had their fair share of problems this season, but one thing that has held steady is the offense. Washington has been potent shooting the ball, eclipsing over 15 threes in each of their first two games, shooting over 40% on the season. Washington is led by their young duo of Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson who have been potent creators for both themselves and others thus far. Washington doesn't need them to sustain the same level of play that they have displayed, but if they can in any way replicate what they have done thus far then Washington will be in great hands for their home opener.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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