Highlights of Wizards' schedule including Wall's return originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Wizards’ 2022-23 regular season schedule was released on Wednesday afternoon and there are already some dates to circle on your calendars in addition to their first game, on Oct. 19 at the Pacers.
Here are some highlights of the Wizards’ 82-game schedule…
Dec. 10: Wall’s return to D.C.
The Wizards will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 10, which should afford the first opportunity for John Wall to play in front of D.C. fans since he was traded by the franchise in 2020. Wall has played the Wizards twice before, including once in Washington when he was with the Rockets, but it was during the 2020-21 season when very few fans were allowed into arenas. This time, as long as he’s healthy and available, should be his true homecoming.
Jan. 23: Porzingis returns to Dallas
Nearly a year after the Mavericks traded Porzingis to the Wizards in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, the Latvian big man will return to play in front of the Dallas faithful for the first time. Porzingis put in 24 points, nine rebounds and four assists in a home win against the Mavericks late last season.
Lots of home games to start and finish
The Wizards will play 11 of their first 17 games at Capital One Arena, including their home opener on Oct. 21 against the Bulls. Playing so much at home early on will be a nice change of pace after they spend part of the preseason in Japan. It may also be an advantage in the standings, as teams are usually better at home than on the road. The Wizards will also play 14 of their final 20 games of the season at home, which could help them finish strong in the playoff race.
First 9 games against the East
The Wizards play their first nine games against teams from the Eastern Conference before their first ‘non-conference’ game against the Grizzlies on Nov. 6 in Memphis. In those first nine games, they will see the Pacers (twice), Bulls, Cavs, Celtics, Sixers (twice) and Nets. That will give the Wizards a good feel for where they stand in the East early on, as all those teams but the Pacers made the playoffs last season. The Celtics made the NBA Finals.
5 national TV games
The Wizards play 81 of their 82 games on NBC Sports Washington, but have five total games on national TV. Those are Oct. 28 vs. the Pacers (ESPN), Dec. 22 at the Jazz (NBATV), Jan. 3 at the Bucks (NBATV), Feb. 13 at the Warriors (NBATV) and Feb. 28 at the Hawks (TNT). That last one is the only game not on NBC.
14 back-to-backs
The Wizards will play 14 total back-to-backs with their first one on Oct. 30 and 31. They play at Boston, then return home to host the Sixers on Halloween. They also play the Sixers two days later in Philadelphia.
Longest road trip: 10 days, 6 games
The Wizards will have some time to get settled before their longest road trip of the season, which begins Dec. 14 and goes to Dec. 23. They will play at the Nuggets, Clippers, Lakers, Suns, Jazz and Kings, six games across 10 days. They also have a 9-day, 5-game trip that runs from Jan. 24 to Feb. 1. During that stretch they will play at the Mavs, Rockets, Pelicans, Spurs and Pistons.
Big home games
In addition to the Clippers on Dec. 10, some of the more notable home games for the Wizards include Kevin Durant and the Nets (Nov. 4 and Dec. 12), Luka Doncic and the Mavs (Nov. 10), Ja Morant and the Grizzlies (Nov. 13), LeBron James and the Lakers (Dec. 4), Stephen Curry and the Warriors (Jan. 16), Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks (March 6 and April 4), Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets (March 22) and Jayson Tatum and the Celtics (March 28)
