The Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers wrap up Wednesday’s NBA Summer League schedule with both teams coming in on tired legs after playing Tuesday night.
Washington dropped a 99-87 decision to Chicago, while the Clippers fell 99-85 to the Lakers. For the Wizards, it was their first defeat after opening with a tight win over the Jazz and a lopsided victory over the Kings. Los Angeles, meanwhile, sits at 1-2, with its only win coming against Utah.
One of the bigger personnel notes for Washington is that first overall pick AJ Dybantsa has been shut down for the rest of the summer. That leaves the Wizards with a different look for this matchup, and it gives the Clippers a chance to take advantage if they can find more consistency than they’ve shown so far.
Keaton Wagler is the name to watch for Los Angeles. The Clippers took him with the fifth overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, and his Summer League start has been uneven.
He opened with just 7 points on 1 of 7 shooting, then bounced back with a team-high 23 points on 6 of 16 shooting, including 4 of 7 from deep. He followed that up with 16 points on 6 of 15 shooting against the Lakers.
With both teams playing the second night of a back-to-back, the pace and energy level could be a factor. That’s why the UNDER stands out in this matchup between two squads that may not have much left in the tank.
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Bilal Coulibaly Just Reached A Defining Moment In Washington
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Coulibaly is entering year four at 21, and the question now is whether he can show enough growth to keep himself firmly in the picture as the Wizards sort through a crowded depth chart. Washington has plenty of young talent to sort through, and the logjam only makes the evaluation more important for a front office trying to balance development with winning. The next stretch should tell the Wizards a lot about where Coulibaly fits, and whether his place in the long-term plan is becoming clearer or more complicated. [Read more 🡒]