The Miami Heat will take on the Southeastern Division rival Washington Wizards on their first nationally televised game of the NBA season.
Heat (3-3) vs Wizards (4-1)
Place: AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, FL
Time: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 8 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
The Miami Heat are once again in the mix for the Southeastern Division title, and will take on the rival Washington Wizards in their second-to-last preseason game. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN, and could give fans a terrific preview of what this series will be like this season.
Matchup to Watch: Miami’s Backcourt vs Washington’s Backcourt
The Heat, with Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade, feature a veteran backcourt that thrives on getting to the rim and making plays for teammates if not finishing the play themselves. Meanwhile the Wizards, with John Wall and Bradley Beal, have perhaps the best young backcourt in the game behind only Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors. It’s a classic Old vs Young matchup, both extremely offensively gifted, with something left to be desired on defense.
Most Important Player: Heat PF Josh McRoberts
Both of these starting lineups feature All-Star caliber players surrounded by highly specialized complimentary pieces, so it could be the bench that decides the game in this one. Enter Josh McRoberts, whose range and passing ability on offense make him a major mismatch against Washington’s second unit. Maybe the aging Drew Gooden can keep up with him, but I wouldn’t count on it. McRoberts could be the swiss army knife the Heat need to take the advantage when the starters rest.
Worried About Whiteside
Hassan Whiteside‘s health has been an issue, with the Heat center playing in just two games this preseason. Miami is likely playing it safe with their star big man, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s not 100 percent and we are about a week away from the start of the regular season.
Focusing on the game at hand, though, Whiteside struggled against the Wizards last season, averaging just 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in three games against Washington last season. His best game came in March, when he scored 10 points and grabbed just two rebounds. Why did this happen? Washington’s front court of Marcin Gortat and Nene Hilario did a decent job of taking space away from Whiteside in the paint. Whiteside, who is not a good passer, struggled when being suffocated. Those two would also consistently outmuscle Miami’s bigs for rebounds.
Key Stats:
Heat offensive efficiency: 25th, 95.0 points per 100 possessions
Heat defensive efficiency: 7th, 94.4 points allowed per 100 possessions
Wizards offensive efficiency: 1st, 112.1 points per 100 possessions
Wizards defensive efficiency: 21st, 100.4 points allowed per 100 possessions