National Basketball Association

Washington Wizards Three Things to Watch: Wizards Look For Momentum Against Houston Rockets

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Washington Wizards have dropped four of their last five games and will look for much needed momentum against the Houston Rockets on Monday.

The Washington Wizards have been coasting through games this season almost as if victories are an inevitable outcome.

They’ve lost four of their last five games – three of which could have ended in wins if they didn’t squander leads or fall apart late in the contests.

It’s still too early to panic, but the Wizards need to reset before it’s too late.

On Saturday night, the Wizards lost to the Orlando Magic after having control of the game for three quarters. John Wall missed the back-to-back due to his rehab, but will be back against the Houston Rockets on Monday.

Washington will take on the Rockets at the Verizon Center at 7 p.m.

Harden switches positions

Typically, Bradley Beal would be the one to defend James Harden, but Mike D’Antoni decided to switch things up by playing the Rockets’ star at point guard this season.

That means Wall will be asked to defend Harden, who’s arguably a top-five offensive player in the NBA.

Wall was an All-NBA Defender a few years ago, but has since slipped on that end of the floor.

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With his size, quickness and athleticism, Wall has all the tools to be a premier defender, but is often still too reliant on the bigs for help inside.

Harden is going to put pressure on Wall and will continue to look to draw contact, as he does every time he touches the ball.

Harden is averaging 31.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 12.3 assists this season.

D’Antoni made Kendall Marshall look like John Stockton in Los Angeles, so it’s not surprising that Harden has put up video game-like numbers under the head coach.

Nene’s return to Washington

Washington wouldn’t have made the NBA Playoffs in 2014 and 2015 without Nene on the roster. Really, he single handedly helped change the culture of basketball in the nation’s capital.

Nene will always be remembered for torching then-Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah in the postseason and leading a young roster that didn’t have any expectations.

The big Brazilian is in the final stretch of his career, but he still has something left in the tank. He’s put up over 8 points off the bench for Houston and his presence has been missed in Washington. With Ian Mahinmi out, it certainly would be nice to have Nene available.

Containing Houston’s offense

Naturally, with D’Antoni coaching the team, the Rockets have become one of the NBA’s elite offensive clubs. They’re currently the sixth best offensive team in the league, in terms of offensive efficiency.

The likes of Harden, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson are all capable of scoring and doing so in spurts. Anderson and Gordon, in particular, are known for having scoring outbursts and containing the shooters will be a priority for the Washington Wizards.

If the Wizards fail to close out on the perimeter or allow one of Houston’s snipers to get going early, there’s potential for this game to get ugly fast.

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