SUMMARY
- The Warriors and Wizards are set to play at the Capital One Arena.
- Chris Paul has officially been removed from the Warriors' injury lineup.
Chris Paul has been a great help coming off the bench since joining the Golden State Warriors. The Dubs have been struggling lately, which isn’t news to anybody now. Since the 2024 NBA All-Star break, the Warriors have gone 1-1 while making some serious roster changes. Klay Thompson has been moved to the bench after failing to deliver in the starting lineup. The Warriors are hoping to make a comeback during the second half of the season.
23 points in the first half.
Klay Thompson was on 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vlJrP3AHyN
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 27, 2024
Their opponents for the night will be the Washington Wizards. Both teams met earlier this season with the Warriors snagging the victory. The Wizards have maintained one of the worst records in the league this season going 9-48. Since their last matchup, the Wizards have only won four games. They are currently on a 10-game losing streak. They will be hosting the Warriors at the Capital One Arena tonight.
Chris Paul is available for the Wizards vs. Warriors game
Chris Paul last played for the Warriors on January 5, after which he was diagnosed with a fractured hand. The veteran point guard required surgery to fix the issue after which he was also sidelined for six weeks through the NBA All-Star Weekend. The good news is that Paul is no longer on the injury report and is available to play for the Wizards game. This will finally bring Steve Kerr’s decision to pair Thompson and Paul on the bench to full effect.
Chris Paul participating in some light halfcourt team work:
🎥: @BySamGordon pic.twitter.com/QIJwKTpEBk
— CP3REGION (@cp3region) February 22, 2024
Golden State Warriors Injury Report:
- Gui Santos (Out)
Gold State Warriors Expected Lineup:
- Stephen Curry
- Brandin Podziemski
- Andrew Wiggins
- Jonathan Wiggins
- Draymond Green
Washington Wizards Injury Report:
- Isaiah Livers (Out)
- Landry Shamet (Questionable)
- Deni Avdija (Questionable)
- Corey Kispert (Questionable)
- Bilal Coulibaly (Out)
Washington Wizards Expected Lineup:
- Tyus Jones
- Jordan Poole
- Johnny Davis
- Kyle Kuzma
- Marvin Bagley III
Deni Avdija left it all on the floor in a career night 👏
▪️ 43 PTS (career high)
▪️ 6 3PM (career high)
▪️ 15 REBWizards fell 126-133 in New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/wnSZNR5mYz
— NBA (@NBA) February 15, 2024
The Wizards have one of the weakest lineups in the NBA which they are hoping to improve soon. However, not having Deni Avdija on the floor will be a slight setback offensively. He has been averaging 13.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Considering how they’ve maintained a poor record with him, his absence is detrimental to the team.
The Warriors have a big advantage over the Wizards with Chris Paul in the lineup
Without Chris Paul, the Warriors have maintained a 13-11 record. However, Paul’s presence will be beneficial for Thompson coming off the bench. This dynamic should help the Warriors gain more success with the second unit while Stephen Curry is away from the floor. Paul has been averaging 8.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists this season.
JUST US pic.twitter.com/UdRsd8ikc2
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 25, 2024
During their initial matchup, Draymond Green was serving his suspension. Now, with Paul directing the second unit and Green taking over defensive duties as a starter, it makes the Warriors an even tougher matchup than before. The Wizards do not possess enough firepower to constrict the Warriors from producing big numbers.
Overall, the Warriors have a winning record by as much as 31 games against the Wizards. The Dubs have also won four of their last five matchups as well. This is a good sign for the Warriors as they have an easier game to accumulate a crucial victory for their last-minute push for the playoffs.