Washington on the road tonight against Miami

November 10, 1:20 PMWashington Wizards ExaminerGeorge Panagakos

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Can Dominic McGuire help stop another Richardson tonight?
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The depleted Wizards will challenge the Miami Heat tonight with the hope of ending a four-game losing skid.  Washington lost a close one to Miami last Wednesday and will enter tonight's contest without veteran guard Mike James, who will miss up to 4-5 weeks after breaking a bone in his left hand.

Washington's latest injury toll, this one suffered last Saturday at practice, will not have a major influence on tonight's game due to floor presence, as James was a DNP the last time the Wizards battled the Heat.  However, 4-5 weeks translates to as many as 12-15 games, and Washington will undoubtedly miss the veteran guard during this stretch.

I'm sure James would have liked to follow his clutch preseason performance against former Wizards Head Coach Eddie Jordan and the Philadelphia 76ers two weeks from now when Washington entertains Philly for the first time, and this injury will put further strain on Washington's Head Coach Flip Saunders as he continues to look for offensive consistency.

Last Wednesday, Washington gave up their perimeter game and instead tried to drive the paint against Miami in the final minute, down 91-89.  However, the Wizards could not convert on three consecutive trips.  If you're Washington, you have to come away from that loss and say, "Dwyane Wade scored 40 and we only lost by 4," however, there have been some major concerns for the Wizards regarding game closers.  Gilbert Arenas, for example, has finished individual quarters with a bang, but the Wizards have not been able to come back this season after being down at the end of three quarters (0-5).  If Washington can win tonight's third quarter battle, the Wizards will have a chance to earn their first division win of the season.

Keeping up with the Richardsons
Other than Wade scoring 40, one of the biggest problems Washington faced last Wednesday against Miami was trying to contain Quentin Richardson, who scored 19 points and made 5-for-7 from beyond the perimeter.  Two days ago, during the last 8:11 of the fourth quarter against Phoenix (Q-Rich's former ball club before moving to New York and now Miami), I was most impressed by the defensive efforts of Dominic McGuire, and believe he could have a role in tonight's game against Miami.

Last Sunday, McGuire forced Steve Nash to commit two turnovers and kept Jason Richardson scoreless during that 8:11 stretch against Phoenix (Richardson scored a corner three with about 36.6 seconds left in the game, but the shot was not taken against McGuire).  If Miami's Q-Rich gets off to an early scoring spree tonight against Washington, look for Flip to entertain the notion of McGuire as defensive stopper once again.

Tonight's game will air at 7:30 p.m. ET on Comcast SportsNet, nationally on NBA League Pass, and on 106.7 The Fan via radio or Internet stream.  I'll be chatting with fans through Comcast SportsNet tonight, so keep your eyes peeled for the chat link sometime after 7:00 p.m. ET and join me as the Wizards battle the Heat!

Also be sure to check out the 2010 Wizards All-Star nominees on day one of All-Star voting.  Yeah, we haven't even passed through a tenth of the Wizards' season yet, and Antawn hasn't played a game, but voting is already here.  The question is, will Yao Ming win starting center out West even though he is not expected to play at all this season?  Gil had thousands of votes last year even though he didn't play until well after the All-Star break, so anything is possible.  The power of the fans.  Maybe I'll write-in Manute Bol for my friend Tony.

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