Brooklyn Nets vs. Washington Wizards Preview: Preseason home opener

It's quite the whiplash to go from the intensity of the WNBA Finals to the quiet hum of the NBA preseason. That's what Brooklyn fans have to do tonight when the New York Liberty travel to Minnesota to take on the Lynx in Games 3 and 4 of the Finals. Barclay's oldest tenant, the Brooklyn Nets, are in Brooklyn on Monday to make their preseason home debut as we inch ever closer to opening night in a few weeks. They began the preseason in San Diego with a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Tonight's opponent is also working to sort things out. The Washington Wizards are in rebuilding mode and are looking for young talent that will help them regain respectability in the near future. They began the preseason with two losses by scores of 27 and 27, respectively, to the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks before defeating Toronto by 18 points.

Where to follow the game

Hey, look, we're on TV! YES network on TV. Tip after 7:30 p.m. ET.

Injuries

No Nic Claxton, Day'ron Sharpe, Trenton Wadford or Bojan Bogdanovic.

No Malcolm Brogdon or Saadiq Bey.

The game

It was a pretty fun day for Nets fans on Sunday. The team held their annual Practice in the Park event earlier this morning, this time in Bed-Stuy! The Liberty scored a big victory in the afternoon. And later that evening, Vince Carter was inducted into the Hall of Fame. A perfect time to celebrate the past, present and future of Brooklyn basketball.

If you want an in-depth look at the Wizards and some other teams in the southern part of the NBA, I highly recommend the latest episode of The Dunker Spot with my boys Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones, Jr.!

As far as the most reliable players in Washington go, we can start with Kyle Kuzma. Kuz led the team in scoring last season and is someone who always attracts interest from contenders who believe they are just one player away from the championship.

Cam Thomas will get most of the defense's attention, and the birthday boy, now 23, is hoping to put together another good outing. The team raved about his efficiency in his preseason debut against the LA Clippers and it will be exciting to see how he lives his life as the top option on offense. For Thomas, he has the green light to work and must find the balance between taking advantage of what the defense gives him and getting the best shot possible.

Player to watch: Dennis Schröder

Every team needs a steady hand at point guard, and that's exactly what the Nets have with Dennis. Schroder spoke to the media Friday afternoon and about the work he and Ben Simmons will do as point guards:

“Everything the team needs to make it happen. I will do it. If I bring the ball up, Ben has to make sacrifices, run to the corner, and if he brings the ball up, I'll do the same. So for me there are no egos.”

That will be crucial as the Nets try to figure out what's going on. For Simmons in particular, tonight represents another opportunity to have a good day. Coming back from what Ben has been through for the last three years, you have to plan one good day at a time. It will take a long time for fans to trust him to be a good player or for opponents to respect him like they did with the Philadelphia 76ers, but if Simmons can make good plays, he will get there. He and the Nets have nothing left to lose at this point, so the hope is that he continues to impress heading into the regular season.

From the safe

Last night was really crazy

And kudos to yesterday's halftime player, Jadakiss!

And what's in the air for the new Hall of Famer, Vince Carter!

Read more: Bullets Forever, SB Nation NBA