What to Watch for in Brooklyn Nets vs. Wizards

The Brooklyn Nets will face off against the Washington Wizards for the third time this season, this time at home.

The Nets fell to the Wizards 119-99 in their last matchup on Jan. 2 after defeating them 129-106 for their second win of the season on Nov. 16.

Brooklyn is coming off a dreadful 118-98 loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday, as the Nets have lost 18 of their last 21 games.

Washington is coming off a shocking 126-117 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday despite missing many of its key guys due to injuries or outgoing trades.

Washington recently acquired Anthony Davis and Trae Young, but neither will be in action when the Wizards visit the Barclays Center.

The Wizards will still be going to work without their new acquisitions on Saturday and they'll be without Tre Johnson, who's been lighting up the socreboard as of late. Alex Sarr is also listed as questionable due to an ankle injury.

Everybody will be available for the Nets, so this could be a golden opportunity for the team to get back into the win column.

Brooklyn's rookie backcourt were bright spots in the Nets' loss to the Magic, as Egor Demin put up 26 points on 8-of-12 shooting with Nolan Traore chipping in 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting and seven assists.

Both looked sharp from downtown, but Traore's ability to get downhill and put pressure on the rim granted him easy layups and drive and kick opportunities, leading to open 3-point shots and driving lanes.

Traore seems to really be finding his niche at the next level on both ends of the floor and is making a strong case to be the Nets' starting point guard with Demin holding it down at the two guard for the foreseeable future.

Michael Porter Jr. has been ice cold in his last couple of games, managing just nine points on 2-of-13 shooting against Orlando. He was 0-for-9 from 3-point land against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday as well.

The Nets will need MPJ to get back to scoring the ball at an elite level if they hope to get back into the win column on a more consistent basis.

The Nets will likely have Nic Claxton match up against Alez Sarr, as Claxton could help blow up Sarr's driving opportunities and absorb his blows down low to limit his impact on the scoreboard.