The Washington Wizards' 2010-11 season opener against the Orlando Magic didn't go as anyone planned. Washington looked awful in falling 112-83, prompting many Wizards fans to push the panic button. It boggled everyone's mind how the team could look so unprepared in its first game of the season. The Magic are a tough opponent, but that still made no sense to everyone.
The NBA schedule doesn't do the Wizards any favors. Tonight, they take on the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta, another top team in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks won 53 games last season, and have started off extremely well thus far this year. Last night, they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 104-101, and they also rolled over the Memphis Grizzlies 119-104 in their season opener on Wednesday. Both of those games were road games, making them more impressive.
John Wall should excel more tonight against the poor defense of Mike Bibby, but the Hawks present matchup issues elsewhere. After getting stifled by Dwight Howard, Andray Blatche now must go up against the dynamic Josh Smith. JaVale McGee will also struggle to defend Atlanta's Al Horford, and the Hawks' continuity offense will give the Wizards' defense problems. The good news is that the Wizards did beat the Hawks handily in the preseason.
The game will begin at 7 p.m.