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How do you feel about the Wizards move to Virginia?

How do you feel about the Wizards move to Virginia?

Weekly Recap + what Nick Kyrios had to say about Kyle Kuzma

Ali Zaaza & Michael Shagoury
December 17, 2023

Standing the East: 14th

Win/Loss Record: 4/21

This week…

Wizards go 1-3 this week ending with tough loss to the Suns
Weekly Headlines: Some Wizards fans refuse to go to Virginia
Zaz’s thoughts on the potential move to Potomac Yards.
Upcoming Schedule

Weekly Recap

^{76ers annihilate the Wizards 146-101}

Not much to say about this one. The Wizards never led and at one point trailed by 48 points. The lead tracker below says it all.

Kuzma led the Wizards in scoring with 21 points followed by our boy Bilal Coulibaly who had 13 points, 8 rebounds (3 offensive) 1 steal and 1 block.

^{Pelicans fly by the Wizards 142-122}

The Wizards started strong in this one shooting over 50% from the field and beyond the arc in the 1st quarter and finishing the period up by 2 points.

The tides turned in the 2nd quarter with the Pelicans outscoring the Wizards by 13 points shooting over 70% from the field and over 81% from the 3-point line.

The Wizards did what they could cutting the lead to 6 at one point in the 3rd quarter but that was the closest they ever got.

Kuzma had another solid night leading the Wizards with 27 points on over 50% shooting with 4 assists and 7 rebounds. Poole had another disappointing night with only 11 points and 4 turnovers.

The highlight of the night (again) in our opinion was Bilal Coulibaly who had 16 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block and a season high of four 3-pointers.

^{Wizards secure 4th season win against Pacer 137-123}

This was an impressive game from the Wizard’s core and we saw what success would like from Kuzma and Poole.

Kuzma scored 31 points on 11 of 23 shooting, hitting 4 of 9 from deep while Poole scored 31 points on an efficient 12 of 18 shooting while going 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. These are the performances that we had hoped to see from the Wizard’s two biggest names, and what would maximize their value.

The Wizards had a monster 2nd quarter outscoring the Pacers 39-18, giving them a 15-point lead at halftime, which they never gave up.

Other bright spots for the Wizards included a triple double from Tyus Jones, 23 points from Kispert, and 17 points from Coulibaly off the bench. Tyrease Haliburton played only 28 minutes after suffering a knee contusion

^{Suns defeat the Wizards 112-108}

The Wizards really fought hard in this one and it looked like they might squeeze out a second victory this week…up until the final 6 minutes.

Big props to Daniel Gafford, one of our favorites over here at the Wizards Newswire, who led the Wizards in scoring with 26 points and adding 17 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks.

Tyus Jones had the second double double on the night for the Wizards, ending with 22 points, 11 assists and 6 steals. Lots of other contributions from others including 17 points from Kuzma and 14 points from Poole.

Unfortunately, KD was too much for the Wizards down the stretch, ending the game with 28 points and this drive to seal victory in the final minute of the game…

@nbagooooo
Kevin Durantttt 👀👀👀 #nba#durant#kevindurant#dunk#suns#wizards#nba

Wizards Headlines

Some Wizards Fans Say They’re ‘Simply Not Going To Go To Virginia’

Before Wednesday’s game, the night after Wizards owner Ted Leonsis announced a plan to move the team (along with his other team, the Washington Capitals) to the Virginia suburbs by 2028, James was next to a table of beanies, on his usual grind. “It’s not a good move,” he said of Leonsis’s suburban dream, in between shouts of “Bullet hats! Wizards hats!”

Nick Kyrgios slams Kyle Kuzma's $102M deal: "Not Top 50", yet making Roger Federer's fortune

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios took a swipe at Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, expressing disbelief that the latter managed to secure a lucrative contract despite being outside of the top 50.

Roadmap for a Rebuild: How the Washington Wizards are ‘leveling up’ off the court

The Wizards’ attempts at “leveling up” to compete with best-in-class NBA teams involve significant outlays of both people and material throughout the organization. The NBA is no different from other North American professional sports leagues: As franchises battle against one another on the court, those same franchises compete off the court in a continuous arms race of sorts to provide bigger and better facilities and optimized player services. To be sure, a goal is to give players and team employees everything they need to be at their best.

^{Zaz’s thoughts on the Wizards Move to Virginia…}

Wow I didn’t see this one coming. It happened so fast I’m still processing it! So many opinions have been circulated in this last week and I’m sure many more will follow. In fact, let’s make a promise to provide more fan-based data as this story develops but for now, all I can say are my initial impressions.

I am a resident of Virginia and have been for a while now. Would this make my commute to games easier? Yes, it would. Is Potomac Yard safer than downtown DC? Yes, it is, and crime has been a hot topic that many have brought up. Would parking be better in Virginia? Probably so. So, with all these conveniences, why am I still on the fence about this?

There’s something to be said about going into the city for a game. Walking into Chinatown, feeling the culture of the city, hearing the drums beat outside the Galleria Place metro and seeing excited fans making their way into the building for tipoff.

I agree with many who have said that the Wizard’s and Capitals were part of DC’s identity, particular the Chinatown area, which will likely suffer much more economically than it already has post pandemic.

I like being in the city and having the option to explore before and after the games. Would it stop me from being a season ticket holder? Not likely, that’s more a matter of the team direction itself.