Inside The Wizards

Wizards Coach Address Lineup Change

The Washington Wizards made a small change to their starting five.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 27, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) and LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) fight for position during the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
Nov 27, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) and LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) fight for position during the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards made a slight change to their starting lineup for the team's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, starting Jonas Valanciunas alongside Alex Sarr in the frontcourt to give the team two 7-footers.

Saturday's game marked just the third time the Wizards started Sarr next to Valanciunas and the first time since Nov. 8. The move came as a result of Kyle Kuzma's rib injury, but the Wizards have had alternate options when the veteran forward has been hurt. Washington could have opted to start Corey Kispert or rookie Kyshawn George, but Valanciunas drew the start instead.

Wizards coach Brian Keefe explained the decision to start Valanciunas.

“I thought they did a good job,” Keefe said. “A little bit of a tough little tough stretch and then we settled the game. We were calm, composed and I liked our size out there. I thought our defense was decent with that lineup.”

The Wizards are in a position to experiment with lineups at this point, so the decision to go with Valanciunas in the starting five isn't a bad idea. The matchup against the lanky Bucks could have played a part in Keefe's decision, but it will be interesting to see if the Wizards continue to use this lineup.

With Kuzma unlikely to play in the team's next game, there will have to be another decision made in regards to the starting lineup. Maybe the Wizards decide to get another game with this lineup to contribute to a larger sample size or Washington could find another combination that it wants to try.

The Wizards are back in action tomorrow against the Cleveland Cavaliers for their final Emirates NBA Cup game. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET inside RocketMortgage Fieldhouse.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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