New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards: Injury Report, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - October 9th, 2021 | NBA Preseason 2021-22
The Washington Wizards are set to host the New York Knicks in their second game of the NBA preseason at the Capital One Arena on Saturday.
The Wizards are coming off a loss against the Houston Rockets and will be playing after a three-day break. With a new roster and a number of fresh faces, they made an attempt to strike some chemistry between their superstar Bradley Beal and their new pieces.
The Knicks, on the other hand, possess all the momentum heading into this game. A powerful display featuring their new lineup, paired with Tom Thibodeau's aggressive and hard-nosed tactics, saw them handily beat the Indiana Pacers.
With both teams looking to settle into their identities, this matchup should be an interesting barometer for the Washington Wizards duo of Spencer Dinwiddie and Bradley Beal.
New York Knicks Injury Report
The New York Knicks are looking to redeem themselves after their playoff disappointment against the Atlanta Hawks last season.
Heading into Saturday's matchup, the Knicks have shown signs of a strong developing chemistry between Julius Randle and Kemba Walker.
Mitchell Robinson isn’t practicing with Knicks yet but Tom Thibodeau, Leon Rose have praised his approach to rehab & his professionalism. Thibodeau said Tuesday that Robinson, a UFA in 2022, has handled rehab “as well as you can handle it.” More: sny.tv/articles/knick…
The New York Knicks could miss key players on their frontcourt, with the continued absence of Mitchell Robinson and the day-to-day status of Nerlens Noel.
Thibodeau has continued to play his starters in the preseason. However, he might look to preserve Walker for the regular season by playing Immanuel Quickley and Derrick Rose instead.
Washington Wizards Injury Report
The Washington Wizards are missing a number of players from their roster due to injury.
Their injured players include starting center Thomas Bryant and rising star Rui Hachimura. While Kentavious Caldwell-Pope missed the Wizards' last game, he is expected to return to the side on Saturday.
The Washington Wizards may also see the absences of Deni Avdija and Cassius Winston, who have been listed as day-to-day.
Wes Unseld Jr. on the continued absence of Rui Hachimura due to personal reasons: "Right now, we're still giving him the time he needs... when he's ready, we'll put him in the mix and see what he's got."
With a number of key players missing from their roster, the balance on the Washington Wizards' side seems a little off. New head coach Wes Unseld Jr. will have his work cut out for him ahead of the regular season.
New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards: Predicted Lineups
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks really bolstered their lineup for the 2021-22 season with the additions of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. The combination of Walker and Julius Randle will provide Thibodeau with more options to experiment with the sets.
The development of Immanuel Quickley is also great news for the Knicks. With the heavy minutes that the starters get under Thibodeau, Quickley can be a suitable replacement for Walker if the latter is injured or rested.
The New York Knicks' big-man rotation will be a bit of a bother heading into this matchup. With Taj Gibson being the only available player in the center position with prior experience, the Knicks will have to look at preserving him for the regular season. This presents a great opportunity for Jericho Sims to step up and contribute.
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards made a big splash in the postseason. In a blockbuster trade that saw them move Russell Westbrook, the Wizards acquired Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from the LA Lakers. They also acquired Spencer Dinwiddie and Aaron Holiday as part of a five-team deal.
Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. says Corey Kispert getting the start at SF is part because KCP is out and part because Kispert has had a standout training camp.
That also indirectly hints that KCP is the projected starter at the 3, at least with Rui Hachimura out and Kuzma at the 4.
While the duo of Bradley Beal and Spencer Dinwiddie shows a lot of promise, the number of injuries to key players in their rotation will be an issue that needs to be addressed.
Although Caldwell-Pope missed the game against the Rockets, he is expected to return to the side for the game against the Knicks. Washington may continue to play Montrezl Harrell off the bench.
New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards: Predicted Starting 5s:
New York Knicks:
Point Guard - Kemba Walker | Shooting Guard - Evan Fournier | Small Forward - RJ Barrett | Power Forward - Julius Randle | Center - Jericho Sims
Washington Wizards:
Point Guard - Spencer Dinwiddie | Shooting Guard - Bradley Beal | Small Forward - Corey Kispert | Power Forward - Kyle Kuzma | Center - Daniel Gafford
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