Washington Wizards 2012-13 Schedule: Monthly Breakdown and W-L Predictions

The Washington Wizards will be looking to build on a decent 2012-13 season (despite a poor record) that saw the team finally emerge with a clear plan for the future.

The bad attitudes have been removed and youth has been emphasized across the roster as the Wizards build towards relevancy.

Their 2012-13 schedule throws up some tough stretches that will test this young team to it's limits.

November Schedule

October 30th @ Cleveland Cavaliers

November 3rd vs. Boston Celtics

November 7th @ Boston Celtics

November 9th vs. Milwaukee Bucks

November 10th @ Indiana Pacers

November 13th @ Charlotte Bobcats

November 14th @ Dallas Mavericks

November 17th vs. Utah Jazz

November 19th vs. Indiana Pacers

November 21st @ Atlanta Hawks

November 24th vs. Charlotte Bobcats

November 26th vs. San Antonio Spurs

November 28th vs. Portland Trail Blazers

November 30th @ New York Knicks

Key Games and Predictions

October 30th @ Cleveland Cavaliers

John Wall vs. Kyrie Irving? Anderson Varejao vs. Nene?

It's a tasty opening-night clash that features two of the league's best young point guards battling it out on the first night of the season, where passions run high as everyone tries to get their season off to a perfect start.

November 3rd & 7th vs./@ Boston Celtics

One of the quirks of the 2012-13 schedule sees the Wizards take on the Boston Celtics in consecutive games in a sort of home-and-home mini-series. Another tough test for John Wall as he is pitted against assist artist Rajon Rondo and the hard-nosed defensive schemes of Doc Rivers.

November 14th @ Dallas Mavericks

A long trip to visit the 2011 Champion Dallas Mavericks presents a tough end to a three-game road trip that also takes in visits to Indiana and the Charlotte Bobcats over the space of five days. The Mavericks are staring at a lost season, though, as they struck out during summer Free Agency.

November 26th vs. San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs visit Washington on the 26th in another intriguing clash between an elite club and a member of the lower class of the NBA. With the plans set in motion over the summer by the front office, the Spurs will present a tough test again for John Wall, this time as he matches up against the vision of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

Final Prediction: 5-9

Wins: Bucks, Bobcats (2), Jazz, Trail Blazers
Losses: Cavaliers, Celtics (2), Pacers (2), Mavericks, Hawks, Spurs, Knicks 

Factors

Best One-on-One Matchup

John Wall vs. Kyrie Irving. 2011-12 Rookie of the Year vs. 2010-11 Rookie of the Year runner-up. Two former No. 1 picks, both playing at the point guard position, both experts at getting to the rim and both ready to go at the start of the season. What's not to like?

Best-Case Scenario

The Wizards somehow rack up some wins in some of their tough road games (in Boston, Dallas, Indiana and New York).

Worst-Case Scenario

The Wizards fail to beat struggling teams like the Charlotte Bobcats, who are the worst team the Wizards can possibly face.

December Schedule

December 4th vs. Miami Heat

December 7th @ Atlanta Hawks

December 8th vs. Golden State Warriors

December 11th @ New Orleans Hornets

December 12th @ Houston Rockets

December 14th vs. Los Angeles Lakers

December 15th @ Miami Heat

December 18th vs. Atlanta Hawks

December 19th @ Orlando Magic

December 21st @ Detroit Pistons

December 22nd vs. Detroit Pistons

December 26th vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

December 28th vs. Orlando Magic

December 29th @ Chicago Bulls

Key Games and Predictions

December 4th vs. Miami Heat

Any time you face the defending NBA Champions, a team that boasts the league MVP and Finals MVP and two more of the top 10 players, it's a marquee matchup. The Wizards will struggle, but the arena will be rocking for the visit of the newly-crowned champions.

December 11th @ New Orleans Hornets

The Wizards get their first look at No. 1 pick Anthony Davis and fellow first-round pick Austin Rivers in a game between two of the league's rebuilding franchises.

December 12th @ Houston Rockets

Twenty-four hours later, the Wizards will get to take on Jeremy Lin's Houston Rockets in another marquee point guard battle in the lone-star state. Lin had the world in the palm of his hands during his Linsanity run with the New York Knicks, before the Rockets made an offer that the Knicks could not match, sending the breakthrough star back to one of the two teams to cut him before he found his fame with the Knicks.

Final Record: 5-9

Wins: Warriors, Magic, Pistons (2), Cavaliers
Losses: Heat (2), Hawks (2), Hornets, Rockets, Lakers, Magic, Bulls 

Factors

Best One-on-One Matchup

John Wall taking on Jeremy Lin will be a must-watch game for basketball fans. The Wizards were one of the teams that experienced the early stages of Linsanity, as Lin had only just begun torching the league a few games before.

Best-Case Scenario

The Wizards' best-case scenario would be to eke out tough road wins in places like Chicago (now without Derrick Rose) and Atlanta (a divisional rival). Though tough, winning against the Rose-less Bulls is possible and the Hawks lost their main man Joe Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets.

Worst-Case Scenario

The Wizards face the very real possibility of losing lots of games in December, as even the teams they should beat have more than enough to best them on any given night. A bad month would generate serious negative momentum heading into the meat of the 2012-13 season, momentum that would be tough to turn around given the schedule the Wizards face in January.

January Schedule

January 1st vs. Dallas Mavericks

January 2nd @ Indiana Pacers

January 4th vs. Brooklyn Nets

January 6th @ Miami Heat

January 7th vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

January 12th vs. Atlanta Hawks

January 14th vs. Orlando Magic

January 16th @ Sacramento Kings

January 18th @ Denver Nuggets

January 19th @ Los Angeles Clippers

January 21st @ Portland Trail Blazers

January 23rd @ Utah Jazz

January 25th vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

January 26th vs. Chicago Bulls

January 28th vs. Sacramento Kings

January 30th @ Philadelphia 76ers

Key Games and Predictions

January 4th vs. Brooklyn Nets

The NBA's newest super-team visits Washington in a battle between elite point guards. The Nets recently signed Joe Johnson from divisional rival Atlanta Hawks and have put together an exciting team that could well challenge the upper echelons of the Eastern Conference.

January 25th vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Ricky Rubio could be back in uniform by the time this clash rolls around, and wouldn't we be in for a treat. Wall, one of the league's top-scoring point guards, facing off against the Spanish magician Ricky Rubio. Kevin Love and Nene matching up would be an interesting and highly-physical encounter to track, too.

Final Record: 5-11

Wins: Magic, Kings (2), Trail Blazers, Jazz
Losses: Mavericks, Pacers, Nets, Heat, Thunder, Hawks, Nuggets, Clippers, Timberwolves, Bulls, Sixers

Factors

Best One-on-One Matchup

Easy. Wall vs. Deron Williams. One of the league's established stars versus one of it's future household names. One team finally ready to join the big playoff party versus one struggling to climb the ladder from the NBA's basement.

Best-Case Scenario

This is a tough month for the Wizards, with a string of incredibly tough matches against the Nets, Heat, Thunder and Hawks from January 4th-12th. A five-game road trip around the Western Conference will also be a big trial for a team that will find wins hard to come by this winter. A best-case scenario would be springing a surprise over the big teams and returning 3-2 from the road trip.

Worst-Case Scenario

The Wizards could easily only win two or three games all month with so many playoff teams to face. Of 16 games, 11 are against playoff teams with one against the Nets, who will surely make the playoffs this season.

February Schedule

February 1st @ Memphis Grizzlies

February 2nd @ San Antonio Spurs

February 4th vs. Los Angeles Clippers

February 6th vs. New York Knicks

February 8th vs. Brooklyn Nets

February 11th @ Milwaukee Bucks

February 13th @ Detroit Pistons

February 19th vs. Toronto Raptors

February 22nd vs. Denver Nuggets

February 23rd vs. Houston Rockets

February 25th @ Toronto Raptors

February 27th vs. Detroit Pistons

Key Games and Predictions

February 4th vs. Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers make their sole trip to Washington this season so that Chris Paul can face off with Wall in another point guard battle. The Clippers made the playoffs last season and have finally become relevant after making some good draft decisions and falling into a little bit of luck with Chris Paul. The Wizards would like to consider themselves similar with their point guard-big man combo of Wall and Nene.

February 6th vs. New York Knicks

The Knicks come to town boasting Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. They are one of the biggest stories in basketball and any chance to play against some of the best players in the league represents a big game. A win goes down as a huge moment in the season.

Final prediction: 5-12

Wins: Bucks, Pistons (2), Raptors (2)
Losses: Grizzlies, Spurs, Clippers, Knicks, Nets, Nuggets, Rockets

Factors

Best One-on-One Matchup

Chris Paul up against John Wall should be enough to entertain any basketball fan, but throw in Blake Griffin and Nene and you have the potential for fireworks. Wall's explosive playing style contrasts with Paul's amazing ability to make the game look easy, and Griffin's dunking is sure to make any game lively.

Best-Case Scenario

The Wizards have five road games compared to seven home games in February, so the chance is there to make some decent headway in the standings with big home wins. Three of the five road games are against the Raptors, Pistons and Bucks, all winnable games.

Worst-Case Scenario

The Wizards fail to defend home court and struggle to pick up wins in hostile environments around the league. With the All-Star break in mid-February, momentum is key going into the final race to the end of the season.

March Schedule

March 1st vs. New York Knicks

March 3rd vs. Philadelphia 76ers

March 6th @ Minnesota Timberwolves

March 8th @ Brooklyn Nets

March 9th vs. Charlotte Bobcats

March 12th @ Cleveland Cavaliers

March 13th vs. Milwaukee Bucks

March 15th vs. New Orleans Hornets

March 16th vs. Phoenix Suns

March 18th @ Charlotte Bobcats

March 20th @ Phoenix Suns

March 22nd @ Los Angeles Lakers

March 23rd @ Golden State Warriors

March 25th vs. Memphis Grizzlies

March 27th @ Oklahoma City Thunder

March 29th @ Orlando Magic

March 31st vs. Toronto Raptors

Key Games and Predictions

March 9th & 18th vs./@ Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats will be a better team this season with the addition of MKG, but then again it is tough to be worse than last years' abysmal team. The Wizards need wins against the league's poorer teams in order to help their case in the standings.

March 16th & 20th vs./@ Phoenix Suns

The Wizards' two meetings with the Suns take place within the space of five days. The Suns will be a bad team this season after the departure of Steve Nash, making them ripe for the Wizards to pick up some much needed wins down the stretch run of the season.

March 22nd @ Los Angeles Lakers

Speaking of Nash, is Wall vs. Nash the future vs. past battle of NBA point guards? The veteran great against the young pretender?

Final Record: 6-11

Wins: Bobcats (2), Bucks, Suns (2), Raptors
Losses: Knicks, Sixers, Timberwolves, Nets, Cavaliers, Hornets, Lakers, Warriors, Grizzlies, Thunder, Magic

Factors

Best One-on-One Matchup

Wall vs. Nash, as mentioned. Old vs. young, youth vs. experience, precision vs. explosion.

Best-Case Scenario

The Wizards have 17 games in 31 days and play a series of six of seven on the road in the second half of the month. Winning three of those road trips would be an achievement, given three are against playoff teams and one is against the Warriors.

Worst-Case Scenario

The Wizards return winless from that road trip, which would mean failing to deal with the Charlotte Bobcats adequately.

April Schedule

April 2nd vs. Chicago Bulls

April 3rd @ Toronto Raptors

April 6th vs. Indiana Pacers

April 7th @ Boston Celtics

April 9th @ New York Knicks

April 10th vs. Miami Heat

April 12th vs. Philadelphia 76ers

April 15th @ Brooklyn Nets

April 17th @ Chicago Bulls 

Key Games and Predictions

April 2nd & 17th vs./@ Chicago Bulls

Derrick Rose may or may not be back in uniform by this late stage in the season. If he is, then the John Wall/Derrick Rose rivalry continues. The pair have had fine contests through their short careers, with the younger Wall learning much from the conduct and performance of the 2011 league MVP.

It's tough to call many of the Wizards' April games "key" games. The majority are non-divisional teams who will in all likelihood be many places higher in the overall rankings, as the playoff picture begins to become clearer. However, the chance presents itself for the Wizards to steal a few wins against teams resting their starters for the playoffs in the final few games of the Regular Season.

Final Record: 5-9

Wins: Raptors, Pacers, Sixers, Nets, Bulls
Losses: Bulls, Celtics, Knicks, Heat

Factors

Best One-on-One Matchup

If he's playing, Derrick Rose. The Chicago native and Wall have had memorable battles over the past two seasons as Rose protects his crown as the league's best young point guard.

Best-Case Scenario

The Wizards steal wins from teams resting their big-name players at season's end.

Worst-Case Scenario

The Wizards still lose to teams playing bench players starters' minutes.

Finally...

Final Overall Record: 31-51

Overall, an improvement on last year and surely enough to see the Wizards leave the Eastern Conference basement and move closer to joining the battle for the final playoff spots in a fairly competitive lower half of the Eastern Conference.