Wizards Guard Details Rockets Biggest Strength

The Washington Wizards will have to keep their fitness up against the Houston Rockets.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 11, 2024

Mar 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) defends during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards are getting ready for their next matchup as they take on the Houston Rockets tonight at the Toyota Center.

For the Wizards, it's the second night of a back-to-back after losing to the Orlando Magic at the Kia Center on Sunday.

The Wizards don't have much time to prepare for the Rockets, but Bilal Coulibaly knows how dangerous their next opponent can be.

“They are really quick," Coulibaly said. "Everybody can push the ball even [Alperen] Sengun, so we just have to get back into transition and pack the paint.”

The Wizards are among the fastest teams in the NBA in terms of pace, and their young bodies should allow them to keep up with the physically demanding Rockets all night long. The Rockets like to force turnovers and go in transition, especially when shots aren't falling for them, so the Wizards must be careful when taking care of the ball.

However, when it comes to overall pace, the Rockets are actually one of the slowest teams in the NBA, meaning they like to wind down the shot clock and find the right shot as opposed to the first one a lot of the time. That leans into Coulibaly saying that the Wizards need to pack the paint, not allowing someone like Sengun to bully Alex Sarr or Jonas Valanciunas in the post.

The Wizards have shown signs of life throughout the season, but they haven't put too many complete games together. For instance, they played one good half against the Magic where they trailed by just five points at halftime, only to lose by 27 by the end of the game.

If the Wizards can put together 48 minutes of complete basketball, they should have a good chance to upset the Rockets.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published Nov 11, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.