Wizards Not Running From Challenges

The Washington Wizards are embracing what's in front of them.

Dec 5, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) shoots the ball as Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr (20) defends in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards have lost a franchise-record 16 consecutive games, placing them among the worst teams ever just 20 matches into the season.

The unfortunate part for the Wizards is that the schedule isn't getting much easier for them. The Wizards face Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets before hosting Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies this weekend, two teams that are over .500. Then, the Wizards will face the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.

Wizards coach Brian Keefe is making sure that the team doesn't shy away from the challenge of facing some of the best teams in the NBA despite having the longest losing streak in the league.

“I embrace all the challenges,” Keefe said. “You want to play great the great teams you want to play against the great players embrace it and and look forward to the challenge of all of it. The schedule is the schedule. Everybody has to play the schedule in the NBA. You can't run from it, you can't hide from it. You got to go after it and I think that's what our group is about and we're going to keep looking forward to those challenges as they come.”

While the Wizards have endured a lot of losing, they know that it is only temporary. The longer the Wizards build habits that will lead to winning games, the more likely they will be to pull out victories. Washington has played close against some of the best teams in the NBA this season, so there is some semblance of a chance that the team could eventually come out on the winning side of a result.

The Wizards will face the Nuggets tonight at 7 p.m. ET inside Capital One Arena.

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